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Area law-enforcement agencies have reported the following recent activity: Editor's Note: All individuals arrested and charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt. Floresville police •Feb. 17, Jennifer E. Ramirez, 45, of Floresville was arrested in the 900 block of Seventh Street by officers responding to a verbal disturbance call; she was charged with resisting arrest, search, or transport, criminal trespassing, and evading arrest or detention, and issued a criminal trespass warning. •Feb. 18, Bernardo J. Rodriguez, 56, of Floresville was arrested in the 400 block of Fourth Street following a traffic...Article Link
First Baptist Church of Stockdale invites the community to help celebrate its 150th anniversary this month. A two-day celebration is planned for: •Saturday, Aug. 17, 2-5 p.m., and includes gospel singing, a time capsule dedication, and remarks and testimony, followed by a fellowship dinner •Sunday, Aug. 18, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., including worship, a catered luncheon, youth building dedication, tree planting, and fellowship with light refreshments. The church is located at 202 S. Seventh Street, in Stockdale.Article Link
Obediah Walker, who was buried in Floresville in 1918, received some long-delayed recognition in May 25 ceremonies. A gravestone obtained from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was dedicated at his burial site in the Walker Edwards Cemetery, where a number of Americans of African descent are buried. For a long time, the small cemetery — hidden between residences facing Seventh Street and the city's large H-E-B store — was most familiar only to people who used a dirt trail through it as a short cut. According to local historians who are trying to protect the burial site, some of...Article Link
Wilson County Historical Society President Gary Martin (right) and Dr. Melinda Creech, Walker-Edwards Cemetery Preservation chair (center), accept a ,000 grant from H-E-B Feb. 24; joining the presentation are Walker-Edwards Cemetery Preservation member Anthony Delgado (l-r) and Richard and Whitney, representing H-E-B. The funds will help preserve and protect the historic Walker-Edwards Cemetery, located behind H-E-B on Seventh Street in Floresville, created in the Floresville Freedom Colony by the Walker and Edwards families. Learn more about the history of Wilson County at the society's meetings, held on the third Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. in the Wilson County...Article Link
Standish Street in Floresville is closed from the intersection with U.S. 181 near H-E-B to Seventh Street, following a law-enforcement pursuit of a speeding vehicle. Drivers are encouraged to avoid the area and find alternate routes around the active scene. Officers deployed spikes to stop the driver of a Jeep, which entered Floresville on S.H. 97 at a high rate of speed Thursday around 4 p.m. An individual is in custody. One Wilson County Sheriff's Office vehicle was damaged in the incident, and a deputy has been transported from the scene by Wilson County ESD 4 EMS. Responding to and...Article Link
Before light rail, another kind of streetcar rolled on Phoenix streets. From the late 1880s until after World War II, electric trolleys connected Phoenicians with the heart of the city. Those who lived far from downtown could easily access the services and goods there without having to walk or ride a bicycle or horse into town. And it was cheap! During its heyday, hundreds of residents would ride the streetcar for just a nickel. It would take them from as far as Glendale to the state Capitol building, around East Lake, and up and down what would become Seventh Street and Avenue. Despite the trolleys' popularity, it faced financial troubles and a conspiracy by motor and oil companies to drive trolley companies out of business. Valley 101 producer Kaely Monahan explores the rise and fall of Phoenix's trolleys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to the CodeX Cantina where our mission is to get more people talking about books! Was there a theme or meaning you wanted us to talk about further? Let us know in the comments below! Today we talk Seventh Streeth, Rhobert, and Avey from Cane by Jean Toomer. Jean Toomer's Cane Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNfo56aXDdo&list=PLHg_kbfrA7YCZgYJSvqRaZ0FSIUA-XzbT ✨Do you have a Short Story or Novel you'd think we'd like or would want to see us cover? Join our Patreon to pick our reads.
FLORESVILLE — Firefighters successfully contained a brush fire Feb. 6 that burned only yards behind residences in the 900 block of Seventh Street in Floresville. The fire started in an area filled with dry tree branches and tall, dead grass that lies between the homes and the paved area in back of the H-E-B store that faces 10th Street (U.S. 181). The store's curbside pickup is located on the north end of the lot. The first alarm went out at 12:50 p.m., and Wilson County Emergency Services District (ESD) 5 Fire & Rescue arrived first on the scene. La Vernia-based...Article Link
A firefighter from Wilson County District 2 Fire & Rescue douses hot spots Feb. 6 in a brushy area behind residences on Seventh Street in Floresville, located behind the Floresville H-E-B. District 2 assisted Wilson County Emergency Services District 5, which essentially contained the fire. The blaze was reported around 12:50 p.m. and began to spread rapidly, with dry grass and tree branches providing abundant fuel. The brushy area lies between residences and the driveway behind the H-E-B store that faces 10th Street (U.S. 181). Look for more on this in the Feb. 8 Wilson County News.Article Link
Behind a house on Seventh Street in Floresville, a small cemetery lies hidden away. Folks in the neighborhood use a path to cut through the wooded area, taking a shortcut to H-E-B or school, most unaware of the history beneath their feet. But a fugitive's flight through the largely forgotten cemetery has forced it out of anonymity and into the spotlight. The Walker-Edwards Cemetery is the final resting place for members of two prominent African-American families in Wilson County, in an area formerly known as “The Colony.” Heads of the Walker and Edwards families were enslaved when they were brought...Article Link
Sylvia Jimenez wields the scissors Dec. 1 at a ribbon cutting for her boutique with family members, staff, Floresville officials, and Floresville Economic Development Corp. (FEDC) representatives joining her on the occasion. The boutique actually opened five years ago, as an adjunct to Sylvia's Hair & Nail Salon in the 1200 block of Seventh Street, according to Jimenez, but never had an official ceremony. Jimenez, who has operated her salon at the same location in Floresville for 22 years, said the boutique began as one small table with jewelry, but grew to occupy an entire room with clothing and accessories....Article Link
Dan and Dan, Berger and Barwick. Dan Barwick, winemaker at Trecini Winery, is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon, Harry Duke and Dan Berger. He has been a guest on this show a few other times, most recently on January 12, 2022, and before that on this episode of July 21, 2021. Harrod's of London Dan Barwik's first job was at Harrod's in London. At the age of 19 he worked in the food halls, starting in the meat department. From there he worked in management and in the wine department during a promotion of French products. His job was to make sure each tasting had the right wine, glasses etc. so he got to taste all the wine and there were hundreds. Dan Barwick has worked in Sonoma County at many wineries including Matanzas Creek, Ferrari-Carano andParadise Ridge. Later he started Trecini with John Vicini in 1999. Dan Berger admires their wine because they are focused on good acidity. Dan's Cellar Dweller of the Week Dan Berger's cellar wine this week is a 2007 Merlot from Twomey. Merlot got such a bad vibe from that movie but some Merlot if it was grown and made right is as good as anything else. The secret to this is 13.6 ABV. The higher alcohol wines don't age as well. It still has vibrant fruit and the acid is still there. Dan Barwik reminds us that the acidity comes from picking at the right time, once ripe but not too ripe. Click the logo to visit our sponsor Bottle Barn online for the coolest bargains on wine, beer and spirits. Trecini also makes some wine in Italy and today's show features some of those Italian Trecini wines that Dan Barwik makes. They begin with a Sardinian Vermentino from 2020. Vermentin0 is a crisp, bright, refreshing wine, that can be still or slightly bubbly. They sell it at the tasting room in downtown Santa Rosa located at 684 Seventh Street, on the corner of Seventh and Humboldt. They are open Friday, Saturday and Sunday for tastings and walk-in retail purchases. The Trecini California wines are some of the best value locally since they own all their own vineyards locally. They have a wonderful lineup of Californian and Italian wines, says Dan Berger. They have collected a lot of gold medals. These wines have delicacy and go well with food. The grapes are picked early enough to save the varietal character and acidity. The more it ripens, the more homogeneous the wine becomes. Join the Rodney Strong mailing list to receive special offers, information on new releases, and more. Sardinia (La Sardegna, in Italian) Sardinia is located in the Mediterranean west of Italy, south of Corsica and well north of Sicily. It is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. It resembles the American south-west so much that it was used as background for all of those "spaghetti westerns" of the 1960s that launched Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach. The vines have ancient rootstocks common only in the Mediterranean. It is very hot and arid. There is beautiful coastline, excellent fishing, snorkeling, swimming and sailing, and also has some very high-end ports and resorts up in the northeast corner. Next they taste a Moscato, which is sweet and usually served as a dessert wine. The label says 5% although it tastes more like 10%. If you like sweet wines, this is delicious, has good vibrancy and bright flavor.
Hosts Andy Brownfield and Rob Daumeyer talk about what's quite possibly the biggest news of the year: Kroger has a deal to buy rival Albertsons, the fourth-largest grocery chain in the U.S. Also, what the New York Times has to say about Northern Kentucky's bourbon industry and the Western & Southern Open has a new owner.Interview starts at (17:44). Britney Ruby Miller is the CEO of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment, which just opened its newest restaurant – Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse – adjacent to Fountain Square. Britney talks about how the original plan never called for the move of the downtown steakhouse from its Seventh Street home, and what happened when she was 16 and her dad told local bouncers not to accept her fake ID.Above the Fold is a podcast by the Cincinnati Business Courier.
Area law-enforcement agencies have reported the following recent activity: Floresville police •Aug. 18, Brianna N. Rangel, 21, of San Antonio was arrested in the 1400 block of 10th Street (U.S. 181) on an out-of-county warrant. •Aug. 20, Marcos A. Gamboa, 27, of Floresville was arrested at his residence in the 900 block of Seventh Street and charged with making a terroristic threat, after allegedly pulling a weapon and threatening to hurt an individual with it. •Aug. 20, Cierra A. Milner, 24, of Floresville was arrested at a grocery store in the 900 block of 10th Street (U.S. 181) on a...Article Link
Area law-enforcement agencies have reported the following recent activity: Floresville police •Aug. 2, Trinidad L. Marroquin, 39, of Floresville was arrested in the 1100 block of Seventh Street on a warrant for failure to appear in court. •Aug. 2, Roxanne Martinez, 33, of Kenedy was arrested in the 500 block of 10th Street on an out-of-county warrant. •Aug. 2, Cierra A. Milner, 24, of Gillett was arrested in the 900 block of 10th Street (U.S. 181) on an out-of-county warrant. •Aug. 2, Ruben J. Palacios, 48, of Floresville was arrested in the 600 block of E Street and charged with...Article Link
VICTORVILLE, Calif. (VVNG.com) — A stretch of Seventh Street in old town Victorville has been closed for over 12 hours after a man was shot and killed Friday night.It happened at about 10:11 pm, on July 29, 2022, in the area of Sixth and Seventh Streets.Get my new Audio Book Prospect's Bible from these links: United States https://adbl.co/3OBsfl5United Kingdom https://adbl.co/3J6tQxTFrance https://bit.ly/3OFWTtfGermany https://adbl.co/3b81syQ Help us get to 10,000 subscribers on www.instagram.com/BlackDragonBikerTV on Instagram. Thank you!Follow us on TikTok www.tiktok.com/@blackdragonbikertv Subscribe to our new discord server https://discord.gg/dshaTSTGet 20% off Gothic biker rings by using my special discount code: blackdragon go to http://gthic.com?aff=147Subscribe to our online news magazine www.bikerliberty.comBuy Black Dragon Merchandise, Mugs, Hats, T-Shirts Books: https://blackdragonsgear.comDonate to our cause with Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BlackDragonNP Donate to our cause with PayPal https://tinyurl.com/yxudso8z Subscribe to our Prepper Channel “Think Tactical”: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-WnkPNJLZ2a1vfis013OAgSUBSCRIBE TO Black Dragon Biker TV YouTube https://tinyurl.com/y2xv69buKEEP UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackdragonbikertvTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/jbunchiiFacebook : https://www.facebook.com/blackdragonbiker
Today we are featuring one of the icons of the Harlem Renaissance, and one of the fathers of Black Literature, Langston Hughes. James Mercer Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1901, in Joplin, Missouri. His parents divorced when he was a young child, and he was raised by his grandmother until he was thirteen. He moved to Lincoln, Illinois with his mother and her husband for a spell, before the family eventually settled in Cleveland, Ohio. Hughes began writing poetry as a teen, and after graduating from high school, he spent a year in Mexico with his father, followed by a year at Columbia University in New York City. During this time, he worked odd jobs and began to write in earnest. Hughes claimed Paul Laurence Dunbar, Carl Sandburg, and Walt Whitman as his primary influences. In November 1924, he moved to Washington, D.C. and in 1926, after Hughes's first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, (Knopf, 1926) was published by Alfred A. Knopf He graduated from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania in 1929 and in 1930 his first novel, Not Without Laughter (Knopf, 1930), won the Harmon gold medal for literature.Harlem functioned as Hughe's muse and he wrote novels, short stories, plays, and poetry, in particular being connected to the world of jazz. His work was one of the cornerstones that defined the Harlem Renaissance, but Hughes vision encompassed the stories of Black people throughout the United States.He established his voice through a variety of mediums, contributing articles and writing a longstanding newspaper column in the Chicago Defender and other papers to develop the Jesse B Simple character which turned into four volumes of prose. He compiled and edited “The Poetry of the Negro” alongside Arna Borntemps, bringing new black voices into the literary fold, and he penned a dozen plays, childrens books and the acclaimed autobiography, “The Big Sea”. The critic Donald B. Gibson noted in the introduction to Modern Black Poets: A Collection of Critical Essays (Prentice Hall, 1973) that Hughes “differed from most of his predecessors among black poets… in that he addressed his poetry to the people, specifically to black people. During the twenties when most American poets were turning inward, writing obscure and esoteric poetry to an ever decreasing audience of readers, Hughes was turning outward, using language and themes, attitudes and ideas familiar to anyone who had the ability simply to read... Until the time of his death, he spread his message humorously—though always seriously—to audiences throughout the country, having read his poetry to more people (possibly) than any other American poet.”In Hughes's own words, his poetry is about "workers, roustabouts, and singers, and job hunters on Lenox Avenue in New York, or Seventh Street in Washington or South Side in Chicago—people up today and down tomorrow, working this week and fired the next, beaten and baffled, but determined not to be wholly beaten, buying furniture on the installment plan, filling the house with roomers to help pay the rent, hoping to get a new suit for Easter—and pawning that suit before the Fourth of July."Langston Hughes died of complications from prostate cancer on May 22, 1967, in New York City. In his memory, his residence at 20 East 127th Street in Harlem has been given landmark status. His ashes are interred beneath a floor medallion in the middle of the foyer in the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem.Today, Black Books Live will present three of Hughes works of short fiction that were featured in “The Short Stories of Langston Hughes”, edited by Dr. Akiba Sullivan Harper, published in 1996. The stories are presented in the following order: “Rock, Church”, “Trouble With Angels”, and “Spanish Blood,” a short story by Langston Hughes first published in “Metropolis,” magazine. December 29, 1934.
On this episode of "Last Call with Richard Crouse" we visit McSorley's Old Ale House on Seventh Street in New York's East Village. McSorley's may not be New York's oldest bar, the Bridge Café (dates to 1794), Ear Inn (circa 1817) and Chumley's (established 1830s) all predate John McSorley's business, but it is one of the most colourful. It's sometimes hard to sort between the fact and fiction that swirls around the bar's legend, but one thing is for sure, there is no arguing with their motto, “We were here before you were born.”At the afterparty Rafe Bartholomew stops by to talk about the bar where Abraham Lincoln once had a beer and its history. Rafe's father Bart worked there for 45 years, the family lived upstairs for a time and on the weekends he'd help his dad get the place up and running and later, in his twenties, he continued the family tradition and worked behind the bar. His book, "Two and Two: McSorley's, My Dad, and Me," is a great read about fathers, sons and one great bar.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, October 1. Your first day of October will come with a slight chance for rain. According to the National Weather Service there will be a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. and a 40 percent chance after 7 p.m. Besides that it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 82 degrees. In the evening it will get gradually more cloudy, with a low around 64 degrees. Investigators searching for an Iowa boy https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/xavior-harrelson-has-been-missing-for-a-month-authorities-silent-on-investigation/ (who vanished in May days before his 11th birthday) said Thursday they have found human remains matching his description in a nearby cornfield. The remains were discovered by a farmer working in a field a few miles outside Montezuma, where 10-year-old Xavior Harrelson was reported missing May 27 from the trailer park where he lived. The farmer called the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office to the scene, according to Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Assistant Director Mitch Mortvedt. Mortvedt told The Gazette that Xavior's family has been notified of the possible development. Despite the remains having clothes similar to those worn by Xavior when he went missing, positive identification may take more than a month. A University of Northern Iowa biology professor who this month imposed a mask mandate in his class and threatened lower grades for students who did not wear masks has been relieved of his in-person teaching duties for the rest of the semester and won't be eligible for any merit pay this year. Professor Steve L. O'Kane — who is 64 and has been at UNI for 26 years — will be allowed to continue teaching his online courses this semester, according to a disciplinary letter shared with the Gazette. The Board of Regents and the University of Northern Iowa have instituted policies preventing mask mandates.O'Kane says that he feels it is his responsibility to institute mask mandates anyway. O'Kane told The Gazette he holds no animosity toward the UNI administrators who penalized him. And — even if regent and campus policies remain unchanged — he'll impose another mask mandate in his class if given the chance to teach in-person in the spring semester. A driver was extricated from a car and taken to a hospital after his car, going the wrong way on Interstate 380, collided with a semi-trailer truck early Thursday. The 23-year-old male driver, who has not been identified, was taken to UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's Hospital after the 1:40 a.m. crash. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, police said. Police said the driver was going the wrong way on the interstate's southbound lanes near the Seventh Street exit to downtown Cedar Rapids. No passengers were in the man's car. The truck driver was uninjured. The Cedar Rapids Gazette hosted a mayoral forum Thursday night. If, by chance, you did not catch it live, you can watch it on thegazette.com. There also will be coverage in Friday's paper. Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon Alexa enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes or wherever else you find your Podcasts. Support this podcast
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday, August 7th and Sunday, August 8th. We could see some rain Saturday and Sunday. According to the forecast from the National Weather Service there will be a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms all day on Saturday. Otherwise, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 88 degrees. The chance for rain will become more pronounced on Saturday night into Sunday, rising to a 50 percent chance overnight and a 70 percent chance on Sunday. As for Sunday, it is expected to range from partly sunny to mostly cloudy, with a high near 89 degrees. Avoiding a murder trial, an Anamosa State Penitentiary inmate admitted Friday to bludgeoning correctional Officer Robert McFarland and prison nurse Lorena Schulte to death with a hammer during a failed prison escape last spring. Inmate https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/trials-reset-for-inmates-charged-with-killing-anamosa-prison-employees/ (Thomas Woodard, 34, )admitted that he intentionally struck McFarland, 46, of Ely, at least twice to the back of his head and struck Schulte, 50, of Cedar Rapids, at least twice to her face and head. He wouldn't admit that he had an intent to kill Schulte. He said his intention when attacking Schulte was to try to keep her from calling for help. Woodard, who was serving time at Anamosa for robbery, pleaded guilty to all the charges against him: two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder and second-degree kidnapping. He faces two life sentences without parole and up to 50 years on the other two. His only condition for pleading to the charges was that he be sent to a Nebraska prison to serve his terms. Another inmate who attempted to escape, Michael Dutcher, is accused of the same charges. He has asked for a non-jury trial, which hasn't been scheduled yet. Dutcher plans to claim self-defense or that he acted in defense of others. Following a https://www.thegazette.com/health-care-medicine/state-halts-university-of-iowa-plans-for-new-hospital-in-north-liberty/ (denial in February) and an unexpected delay over the summer, University of Iowa Health Care's revamped application to build a $230 million facility off Interstate 380 in North Liberty is set to have a second shot this month before the State Health Facilities Council. On May 20, UIHC https://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/university-of-iowa-health-care-reapplies-to-build-north-liberty-hospital/ (resubmitted an application) to build “one of the most expensive proposed projects in council history” after the five-member appointed group on Feb. 17 — following seven hours of testimony — narrowly voted 3-2 to deny permission to build. In its reapplication the university hospital is attempting to argue for a narrower purpose for the location that fits its research mission. The original proposal was strongly opposed by other hospitals in the area, as they argued an expanded UIHC would hurt competition, and in the case of Mercy Iowa City, potentially put them out of business. The new Sixth Avenue in Marion, a road project over a decade in the making, is now fully open to traffic. The city held a ribbon cutting Friday morning to celebrate the opening of the road that runs between two roundabouts at Seventh Avenue and Seventh Street and at 26th Street, the former Marion Iron site. The plan, set into motion in 2009, was to build a street along the right of way so downtown traffic would be balanced between Sixth and Seventh avenues, creating a more pedestrian-friendly Uptown. In addition, properties that once housed warehouses and industry were removed and are now in a position to become a mix of commercial and residential. With the Iowa football season rapidly approaching, there will be more Hawkeye news to come soon. If you want to have the latest football insights emailed directly to you, sign up for Leah Vann's exclusive weekly Talkin' Hawks newsletter at thegazette.com/hawks... Support this podcast
Host: This is Minnesota Native News. I'm Marie Rock. Coming up… Northern Spark, the annual art festival, opens June 12th. The theme this year is Alchemy, which has different meanings, one of which being the process of transformation, creation, or combination. One of the opening public art pieces is called Braiding Our Stories Together. Reporter Leah Lemm has more.Reporter: Northern Spark is taking on a new form this year. Instead of the two night gathering, the art festival will take place in person over two weeks in St. Paul. There are also online aspects and outreach through the postal service. The opening weekend event includes a virtual and public art storytelling project called Braiding Our Stories Together on Sunday, June 13th.Reyna Day: Boozhoo, my name is Reyna Day. So there's two main parts of the Braiding our Stories project.Reporter: Reyna Day is Mexica and Anishinaabe from the Bois Forte Band. And is co-leading the interactive and intergenerational public art display with Ruti Mejia.Reyna Day: And so we were pulled into this project specifically as youth organizers.Reporter: Reyna Day and Ruti Mejia are both youth organizers of the Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center. And they're on the International Indigenous Youth Council, Twin Cities Chapter. Reyna explains Braiding Our Stories Together takes on two forms.Reyna Day: And so that's going to be the virtual aspect, which is going to be the revealing of the storytelling portion, which was led by the youth and kind of created by the youth. And then also the other aspect, which is going to be the public display. So the public display will be there throughout the end of the summer. And Ham Park is like, it's a free park. And so you can just go in there anytime.Reporter: The art piece is a large 3D representation of stories, teachings, poems, and songs passed down through generations. It can be found at [inaudible 00:01:56] also known as Ham Park, which is along the Seventh Street cultural corridor on St. Paul's East side. Braiding Our Stories Together was created with artist and elder Gustavo Boada.Gustavo Boada: My name is Gustavo Boada from Peru.Reporter: Gustavo helped bring the artistic ideas into existence.Gustavo Boada: And then I say, wow, we can work together and do this project that you have already in mind. And guess just tell me. I can help you to decide what to do and how to do it.Reporter: Together, they thoughtfully went through ideas and landed on what ultimately was created.Gustavo Boada: I usually do puppetry, but I make a big things and also three-dimensional murals and big sculptures. So I told her the options and they finally choose to make something three dimensional.Reporter: And the sculpture of the person with braids is larger than life. Formed with natural objects, papier-mache and more, Reyna Day talks about how it's more than what meets the eye.Reyna Day: And you'll see a figure, and then you're going to see two braids. And each of these braids are 25 feet. And the reason that we chose braids was, in indigenous culture, like, we view hair to be very significant. And we view our hair to carry our stories, our essences, our spirits. And so as you go through the braid, you're going to be seeing just the beautiful decorations on the braid, but you're also going to be seeing QR codes. These QR codes are going to take you to a website. And these websites are going to be split. The website's going to be split into different portions, into three portions, which are going to be songs, stories, and poems.Gustavo Boada: For me the braids are very important part of this project. And secondly, I think it has so much love put in this work. One I recall is that the braids are the weaving, the connection, the blending of all the roots. The braids are the roots from the ground, but become in a hair in the braid also. So that metaphor for me, it was so amazing.Reporter: More details about Braiding Our Stories Together and Northern Spark can be found online at 2021.northernspark.org. If you miss the virtual event on June 13th, it can be found on the Facebook pages of Indigenous Roots and the International Indigenous Youth Council, Twin Cities chapter. For Minnesota Native News. I'm Leah Lemm.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, March 23rd. It was predicted to rain on Monday, and it didn't really in our area. But they are predicting it again, so I assume it's for real deal this time. According to the National Weather Service there will be rain with thunderstorms possible after 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Cedar Rapids area. There will be a high near 58 degrees with windspeeds between 10 and 20 mph gusting as high as 30 mph. Then there will be a chance for rain Tuesday night into Wednesday. Legislation that would eliminate a requirement that Iowans obtain a permit to acquire or carry handguns and loosen other state restrictions is headed to Gov. Kim Reynolds' desk following Senate passage Monday on a 30-17 vote with only Republiccan support. Majority GOP senators said adopting permit-less “constitutional carry” provisions of https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=89&ba=HF756 (House File 756) — like 18 other states — would enhance Iowans' individual rights while removing intrusive government regulations. But Democrats said the proposed changes — if signed by the governor — would make Iowans less safe and run counter to public support for the current system of background checks and permitting requirements. Gov. Reynolds refused to support permit-less carry in 2019. She called the background check for a permit to carry, which she had voted for as a state senator in 2010, “good policy and the right thing to do.” However, Republicans have indicated recently that she is excited to sign the new legislation. According to an early poll, if he runs again, former President Donald Trump is the clear favorite of Iowa Republicans to win the state's first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses. If he doesn't, it appears there will be a wide-open race for Iowa GOP support. A Victory Insights poll of 650 Iowa Republicans found that 61 percent said they will support Trump if he runs. No other Republican topped 10 percent among “very likely” caucusgoers in the poll conducted March 5-8. However, Utah U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, “someone else” and former Vice President Mike Pence had more than 10 percent support among all Republicans. A teenager was seriously injured Sunday when he was accidentally shot at a residence in Marion, police said. Officers who were called to the 1300 block of Seventh Street around 11:20 a.m. found a teenager who had suffered a serious gunshot wound. He was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment, according to the Marion Police Department. Police said an adult male was cleaning the firearm when it discharged, striking the teen. Iowa governments are in line for more than $4.45 billion in federal COVID-19 relief money under a nationwide $1.9 trillion package signed earlier this month by President Joe Biden, according to a preliminary analysis issued Monday by the state's nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency. Iowa's $4.451 billion share of the American Rescue Plan Act represents funds flowing through state government and do not include stimulus funding to individuals and families that totals about an additional $3.77 billion in direct payments to Iowans, the analysis indicated. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.
This is my first episode recorded LIVE! With a rich musical heritage, Clovis is home to two remarkable citizens – Norman and Vi Petty, whose legacy is carried forth at the Norman & Vi Petty Rock & Roll Museum. The museum is located in the Clovis Business Enterprise Center, which is also home to the Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce, at 105 E. Grand Ave. It is designed to give visitors a glimpse into the Norman Petty Studios on Seventh Street, where musicians such as Buddy Holly, Buddy Knox, Roy Orbison, and other early rock and roll greats recorded some of their hits. Some of the museum’s attractions include the working equipment from the actual studios, including the original mixing board used during Buddy Holly’s recordings. In addition, memorabilia from the Petty’s personal collections are on display, offering a behind-the-scenes look at their lives and careers. Even experts in “Petty-ology” will discover something new, with never-before-seen artifacts and many interesting stories captured on video and audio, and displayed throughout the exhibit. The construction of the museum also is unique. It encompasses a re-creation of two of the studio’s rooms, as well as diner booths and lots of neon. A central attraction is the oversized 1950s Fender Stratocaster – the guitar that Buddy Holly made popular. It hangs over the entrance. Since the museum opened in 2008, visitors from around the world have made the music pilgrimage to visit the Seventh Street Studios and the Rock & Roll Museum. (I was the first to put a pin in the map from Boise, ID) https://www.clovisnm.org/norman-vi-petty-rock-roll-museum/ (https://www.clovisnm.org/norman-vi-petty-rock-roll-museum/)
Description: When First Avenue entered bankruptcy on Election Day 2004, some saw it as the end of an era. But others – including devoted employees, local music fans, and a certain stage-diving ally in City Hall – would not rest until they'd saved the club. This is the seventh episode of The Current Rewind's "10 Pivotal Days at First Avenue" season. If you missed the first six episodes, catch up below. • April 3, 1970 (The day it all began)• Nov. 28-29, 1979 (The days that told the future)• Sept. 27, 1982 (Bad Brains/Sweet Taste of Afrika/Hüsker Dü)• Aug. 3, 1983 (The birth of "Purple Rain")• Oct. 22, 1990 (Sonic Youth/Cows/Babes in Toyland)• March 4, 1991 (Ice Cube/WC and the MAAD Circle) Transcript of The Current Rewind season 2, episode 7: "Nov. 2, 2004" Cecilia Johnson VO: Hey, it's Cecilia, host and producer of The Current Rewind. If you're listening to this the day it drops, it's Election Day in the U.S. You may be wondering what a First Ave podcast is doing in your feed, today of all days. Well, first, we wanted to encourage you to vote, if you haven't already. On the flip side, if you're seeking a few moments of respite, we got you. Third, a while back, I noticed a really weird coincidence: This episode takes place on Election Day itself. In fact, some First Ave employees remember frantically working to save their club and having to take a break to vote. It's funny how history rhymes. [
John DeMarino was last seen at Uncle Mike’s Bar on Seventh Street in Parkersburg, West Virginia shortly before midnight on January 30, 2019. He ordered a beer, drank half of it, then got up and walked away. He never returned for the rest of his drink. John has never been heard from again.
James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, novelist, playwright, columnist, and social activist active throughout the early to middle 20th century, probably best known as one of the leaders of the Harlem Renaissance. Through his work, Hughes sought to honestly portray the joys and hardships of working-class black lives, avoiding both sentimental idealization and negative stereotypes – in his own words, Langston declared his poetry was about “workers, roustabouts, and singers, and job hunters on Lenox Avenue in New York, or Seventh Street in Washington or South State in Chicago – people up today and down tomorrow, working this week and fired the next, beaten and baffled, but determined not to be wholly beaten, buying furniture on the installment plan, filling the house with roomers to help pay the rent, hoping to get a new suit for Easter – and pawning that suit before the Fourth of July.” What is so monumental about Hughes is that he brought a varied and diverse background to his writing: before the age of 12 he had lived in six different American cities. When his first book was published, he had already been a truck farmer, cook, waiter, college graduate, sailor, and a doorman at a nightclub in Paris, and to add to it, traveled to Mexico, West Africa, the Azores, the Canary Islands, Holland, France, and Italy. In the wake of his first book’s publication, Hughes went on to write countless more works of poetry, prose, and plays, as well as a column in the Chicago Defender, a column which ran for over two decades. Over the course of his career, Langston witnessed a colossal amount of upheaval, from WWI, to the Roaring 20s, the Great Depression, WWII, and of course the Civil Rights Movement, but his outspoken fight never wavered in his pursuit of shining a light on the reality of life for black Americans. So, without further ado, let’s dive into this weeks episode of Legacy, covering the incredible journey of none other than Langston Hughes.
Photo courtesy: Town of Rangely Thanks for listening to Rio Blanco County news. Here are highlights from the August 20 edition of the Herald Times. This week Herald Times staff visited White River Electric Association and hopped into a very shiny, quiet, and speedy new Tesla Model 3 for a test drive that at times felt more like a theme park ride. The vehicle is one of two EVs on loan to WREA from Tri-State Generation and Transmission, as part of their “Beneficial Electrification” program. Check out our Facebook page or Youtube channel to see a special video of the car and some parts of the drive, and read more about Tri-State’s promotion on the front page. Also on the front page this week we hear from Spencer Gates of Meeker, who’s on his way to state fair after taking home the title of Grand Champ. He won for market, breeding and showmanship with his Boer goat, Al. Gates shares lessons learned, plans for the future, the benefits of brotherly competition and more in this week’s edition. Meeker Resident Bob Tobin noticed smoke Friday afternoon as he pulled into his driveway near the top of Seventh Street, and sure enough a fire had broken out near two large water towers in the area, Tobin was the first on the scene and reported the fire. Within an hour Meeker and BLM firefighters had the blaze under control. The Pine Gulch fire near Grand Junction is reported at over 125 thousand acres after growing 30,000 acres overnight on Tuesday August 18th. It is now the second largest fire in Colorado history. The Grizzly Creek fire burning in Glenwood Canyon was reported just over 28,000 acres as of press time. I-70 remains closed, marking the longest closure of the stretch of highway in recent history. Photos of the 7th Street Water Tower Fire, Pine Gulch and Grizzly Creek fires are on pages 2A and 3A. With the addition of one new COVID-19 case in Rangely on August 17, Rio Blanco County’s total case count rose to 21. As of press time Wednesday, the county’s public health department reports 20 of those cases are recovered. No hospitalizations have been recorded. You can check the latest stats at rbc.us/592/coronavirus-update. Meeker School district won’t be offering transportation service inside Meeker city limits for the 2020-2021 school year, in an effort to achieve appropriate physical distancing. Former meeker attorney Joe Fennessy has a new role in our local courtroom, that of county judge. He replaces Laurie Noble, who retired in July after 28 years in Rio Blanco County Courts.The Herald Times sent a list of questions to Fennessy about his new appointment and he responded via email. Read his answers on page 2A Fifth street bridge and all of Circle Park are closed to public access for construction of park infrastructure and amenity improvement projects. The park is expected to reopen next year. Project updates are at erbmrec.com Rio Blanco County residents will be voting on term limits for most county officials in a few months. Commissioners elected to add all offices except surveyor to the ballot. That story on page 7A. The 20th anniversary edition of the Northwest Colorado Hunting Guide is in production and hits shelves on September 3rd. Local stories and more this year, don’t miss it. Your quote of the week: The secret of getting ahead is getting started. ~ Mark Twain There’s our highlights for this week. Find more in print and online at ht1885.com. Thank you for supporting community journalism.
Joining us today is Steve “Stix” Nilsen, the vice president of lifestyle marketing at Liquid Death Mountain Water. He has some bold strategies that have proven effects on branding, brand loyalty, marketing, and generating profits for Fortune 500 companies. When asked how he does it, he said “I do cool shit, with cool people, that makes people buy things.” You won't want to miss this fun and lively interview with a down to Earth guy that has some serious moxie! What we're talking about Epiphany on a Beach Tenacity and Forging His Own Path Trying New Things, But Knowing Your Boundaries Epiphany on a Beach Steve grew up just outside Minneapolis, MN, but visited family in Hawaii over the summers. It was his summer fun that sparked his love for surfing. Even though he went to a private prep school and played traditional sports, he was also passionate about skateboarding and music. It was his love of discovering who he was that led him to try jobs in many different industries, from being a golf cart boy to construction to working in a bank. All the way to working for Northwest Airlines to indulge his love of travel! It was during one of his adventurous trips around the world, Stix had an epiphany. He was sitting on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia when he had a revelation. His career needed to be in action sports! Tenacity and Forging His Own Path To obtain a career in action sports, Stix went about it his own way, by grabbing every action sports magazine and studying the brands he liked the most. He cold called companies. He took their existing ads, and redid their marketing with his own comic flair. Sending them back to the companies for review. His boldest move and big break came when he talked to the director of marketing at Airwalk. Her home had just burned to the ground and she had to be on a plane to Europe a few hours later. She was too busy to take his call, so he mailed a smoke detector to her home! It worked and he was hired. Trying New Things, But Knowing Your Boundaries Steve had worked hard to get his foot in the door, and he started working in merchandising. It was when he realized that they were doing it all wrong, and his advice fell on deaf ears, that he decided to learn everything up and down the ladder so he could make the decisions to best position the product. Will you take your passion and make a career out of it? LINKS MENTIONED Steve Nilsen's LinkedIn Stix's Instagram Liquid Death Instagram Liquid Death Website SPONSOR Wildstory TIMESTAMPS 13:00 - 13:39 (39 sec MG) There really is this awesome idea that...be the person that you wanted to be. 100% 15:05 - 15:18 (13 sec SN) Let's not paint this picture that I'm...they all wore the same outfits. Costumes as I like to say. 27:40 - 27:58 (18 sec MG) Brands don't really own the brands...everyone is having their own conversations. 28:21 - 28:43 (22 sec) How did you start the process of...this is pre-internet. 52:58 - 53:22 (24 sec SN) When the light bulb went off...that is brand equity. 57:58 - 58:20 (22 sec SN) That's pretty tell tale when you have...you're gonna be the first guy who's gonna hit me up for swag. QUOTES I believe travel is so important for the growth of kids, if you can possibly do it, to see other cultures. See other things. It helps you figure out who you are. - SN To exist as a brand, you can't just go off your bros. You've got to bring in people that know what they're doing. - SN You don't just do “enough”. Don't check boxes. - SN I'm a great believer in luck. I find the harder I work, the more I have of it. - Unknown We're not a product. We're a brand. - SN Podcast Transcript Steve "Stix" Nilsen 0:02 All I remember is that they were they moved from Carlsbad, California to Pennsylvania. And I was just barraging her with letters and left and I call call cold call. And then I picked up the phone one day. And I said, hey, it's Steve Nilsen. Oh, it's cute kid. Because again, because Listen, kid, I don't have time to talk to you. My house just burned down. I gotta leave for Europe. And I was like, Alright, I gotta go. So I mailed her a smoke detector in the mail. And she called me like laughing. But two weeks, three weeks later says, Oh my god, you have balls kicked. Yeah, she flew me out and fast forward, I end up getting the job. Marc Gutman 0:41 Podcasting from Boulder, Colorado. This is the baby got backstory Podcast, where we dive into the story behind the story of today's most inspiring storytellers, creators and entrepreneurs. I like big back stories and I cannot lie. I am your host Marc Gutman. I'm Marc Gutman, and on today's episode of Baby got backstory, how a kid from Minnesota infatuated with skating and music was able to combine those two loves, and build a marketing career in the action sports industry with some of the world's biggest brands. Hey, now if you like and enjoy the show, please take a minute or two to rate and review us over at iTunes. iTunes uses these as part of the algorithm that determines ratings on the apple charts. And ratings help us to build an audience, which then helps us to continue to produce this show. I today's episode we're talking to Steve Nielsen. Man, that sounds weird because I know Steve as Styx STI x, and I'm not going to ruin the story of how he got that nickname for you. It's coming up early in the episode and he'll tell you all about it himself. Styx has built a career in the action sports Industry helping to build brands and marketing companies like air walk Red Bull paps. Yep, the Blue Ribbon beer. And now he is helping to build the brand of liquid death, which sounds like some weird cannabis brand, or a punk rock band. But it's canned water. Stix is one of those people who knows everyone and everyone knows him. He's a savvy marketer. And he found a way to marry the things he loved skate culture, in music, with marketing. stix. His story is one of vision, persistence and principles. Listen to the discipline he displays when talking about branding. He's always looking at the long game versus the quick game for the business. I could listen to stix of stories for hours and I loved his honest take on branding and what it takes to build a brand and this is his story. Alright, I am here with Steve Nilson of liquid death. And Steve, I think this might be the last time I call you Steve, because everybody calls you stix. How did you get that nickname? Steve "Stix" Nilsen 3:12 No, I honestly I was given it was 1998 around there. At the time I was building snowboard boots for airwatch and I was over in Asia and long story short is you know, when you're over there in these factories is roasting right and I would wear shorts to the factories because obviously it's super hot in Thailand or Taiwan or or Shanghai, China. And when I wear boots, you know if you guys have skinny legs, it looks like Jiminy Cricket with the boots on and one day my boss at the time who's still very close with me got super irritated about something he was not really me personally but what was going on in production. And we all got really loud. How do you balance them sticks because he's he's from frickin Boston. So stix stuck like that and coworkers are laughing by time I got like some in states camp so he felt that way to SPX and Stop, but it literally is because I've seen the lights. That's not very, you know, glamorous story. But literally, I did look like Jiminy Cricket. I just came across some photos I dug up the other day and I'm wearing snowboard boots and 100 degree factory. So Marc Gutman 4:14 well thanks for that context. Now we're gonna know why we're referring to stix going forward. And stix. You probably have the coolest bio of anyone that has ever been on the show so far. And I'm going to read it because it's very, very short and to the point, I do cool shit with cool people that makes people buy things. What's that mean? Yeah, what's that mean to you? Like how'd you how'd you come to that bio? Steve "Stix" Nilsen 4:40 You know, I think it's because I, you could cut and paste your resume or you could do liquid gas. I'm sorry. resume or you could go to LinkedIn rather, and just cut and paste things and there's not a whole lot of soul to that, I don't think and if you really want me to dumb it down, that's the best way because I'm always run, moving her miles now. And they always say there's quote unquote elevator speech. That was the best way to explain it to you, as he was about to drop it into skate park. If someone asked me what I did, that's what I'm telling you. I mean, it's quick to the point and then maybe pique their curiosity like it is you and it's really just, I'd like to think that my career like, I've had so much fun. And I think that I did all my life, I can look at it that way. I just, I'm not going to do something. If I'm not reading, my heart's not into it. Let's just put it that way. And so you sniff out in your life, brands, people situations, you want to be a part of and make it so you know, and that's really, again, it's probably being a little cryptic, but I hope that answers your question. Marc Gutman 5:36 Yeah, it's a great, it's a great, it's a great answer, stix. And you know, one thing that I know about you and you've touched on it, you dropped a bunch of clues right there talking about dropping into the skate park doing cool things, the cool brands, you know, why don't you tell me a little bit about what your young stix was like? I mean, where did you grow up? What were your interests? And how did that set the foundation for where you are today? Steve "Stix" Nilsen 5:58 Make a very long story short I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Specifically, it's called the Dinah, Minnesota, which we are known as cake eaters. It's a hockey reference to long strip, anyone can look it up enough cake eaters if you can Google it. Anyway, I have relatives in Hawaii, and I became absolutely infatuated with surf skate culture. I just thought it was the coolest cook back then. There was no packs on. There's no zoomies. There was no, you couldn't find the really cool clothes. Except if you go to the skate shops or shopper. Well, we obviously have a lot of that in Minnesota. So when I visited my relatives, I come back with Quicksilver and the different surf brands, billabong, Town and Country. And people are like, where'd you get the word you get the clothes? Where'd you get that? And it's it had made to mainland United States. Yeah, to me, I guess on the coast, but not on Minnesota. And I fast forward. You know, I really got into skateboarding. And snowboarding hadn't existed yet. And I love that but we could only do it a certain amount of time during the year and that wasn't particularly good. But I got Have some kids from this called Southwest High School, which kind of borders along with the suburb that I grew up in. And they were like the kids, I was just, I was fascinated with the fact that they were so into punk rock that they're the ones to tell me about First Avenue and Seventh Street entry, which is anyone has anyone played those venues as a kid like we're talking to a black flag, Jeff a circle jerks, like all these bands, you could go see him for like five bucks because they'd have a matinee show in the morning or midday and then they'd have the Id show at night they call them or whatever. 21 Plus, and that was really what I did. It's funny because I played traditional sports the whole time. But I just was something about that the music, the way people dress, all that really, like captivated me at a young age. And I think it has to do with the fact which is why I believe travel is so important for like the growth of kids if you possibly can do it, to see other cultures see other things. It helps you figure out who you are and for me by me going to experience what it was like in Honolulu and in Maui, and seeing these guys these cool you know, Massimo was actually a surfer and originally people don't know that. That brand And things like that I was just infatuated with it. So that so hope that kind of gives you a little snapshot that I kind of did both. It's like I played the traditional sports, but I love the punk rock skate side. It just was such a curiosity, but I just love how passionate people were. And you could kind of express yourself, you could just be you didn't have to follow on and I went to private school. So everyone kind of the same costume and not that we had to wear uniforms. But I was fascinated that, again, the music, the the activities of skateboarding, and then eventually snowboarding. It allowed you to be you like whatever that meant, and no one's gonna judge you in those circles. Yeah, it's Marc Gutman 8:38 so interesting. I mean, you and I have a very similar background in that, you know, I grew up in Midwest as well. I was super fascinated with skateboard culture. So much so that I used to just look at Thrasher magazine and dream about that lifestyle until the second I could go to California. I did move to Venice Beach and quickly realized that it wasn't quite like it wasn't the magazine at that time. But But like, you know, Really can relate to that. And so what was like, I mean, what was just so special for you and the one thing that was a little different was like, you know, I always thought like, some of the music that like all the skaters were listening to and I can thrash and all that was a little like, a little hard for me. You know, I was more of like a Detroit Detroit Rock City like heavy, you know, metal hairband, kind of kid, you know, what was it about that? That combination of skate and in music that really spoke to you and you talked a little bit it allowed you to, to self expression to like, why was that important? Steve "Stix" Nilsen 9:31 I think it is because I went to, you know, a very well renowned private school in Minneapolis. But the cool thing with this school, I will say from freshman year on in high school, they really had them really that the kids they're really like music, and I'm not saying about playing on a saxophone or a quarter or even though they were known for the choir. But you got to remember I grew up in the thick of the replacements, Cusco do early soul asylum and people would go to the shows and I would have a senior driving freshman to go see the violent felons, let's say. And I just started going to any show I could get my hands on, like you get a ride to but here the school I went to would be a preppy I guess is the term you'd use. But it was fun because we didn't have like any high school you're gonna have the guys little known fact, one of the founders of ice magazine was a year older than me. And we used to see each other punk shows all the time, you know? Think suroosh Alvi. And he's still there. And we would see each other all the time it was funny because then I yes, did I have clothes I guess you can probably but then I would maybe do a twist on it and go buy a pair of camel pants at the army surplus store. And then my mom would would hand them in or make them a little narrower. You don't need to be so baggy, and just like a fun little twist on stuff but we have very little to choose from back then. Not in a destitute way but in a way that we're pretty much had a few department stores to choose from. So the fact you could go do that so like I had a friend of my late friend morning almost. I bring him up because my one of my closest friends died in 911 100 fourth for the South Tower. He's actually the first person on the victims list. If you look at His last name is Ahmed. And he's one of my son's is named after him. But he was funny with Mr. Like, preppy guy, but be the first guy that one might make his own t shirt or want to go to a punk show. And then he wouldn't alter what he could still wear like, it was like a damn shirt to a punk show because he just no one really messed with the meter. It's kind of bigger guy, but he and I are totally online on music. You know, we'd love everything from the cure to again, replacements to Cusco do and then digging really really deep. Like I said the gfa is the world which word for it and we're even pit pihl public engineer limited, which is an offshoot, obviously the Sex Pistols, but we used to take a bus to downtown Minneapolis, the six plus and we would go to northern lights which was the record store and dig through crates for vinyl. And then there was this was owned by this Asian couple called sons su ns and they're the ones who have all the concert tees and you go on their wall and you look at these five screens printed in black, but you couldn't any of the bands you couldn't see you ever see like the Smiths I go into the Smith's work by seeing a T shirt. I bought the T shirt I have no idea meat is murder. What the Smith It was different. You walk down the street, you were like, what is meat is murder. You know, that's the name of the album. But that was kind of how it happened in Minneapolis. Fortunately again, though, it considered a cold destitute place. Otherwise, it had a really good art scene. My mother works for me, Apple sister of arts for decades, you know, had a really really good thriving theater slash music scene that you wouldn't find major metros, you know, and you needed to try it. But I'd argued right up there was Chicago, you know, they've got venues too, but just a smaller version. No, yeah. And I think Marc Gutman 12:31 it was really cool, like in those kind of smaller, mid major towns because Minneapolis isn't like a small town, but it's not Chicago. But when you get the bands that come into town, you get them to yourselves. And so in a way, it's almost better than when you're like trying to fight through a Chicago crowd or an LA crowd or New York crowd for both tickets, just proximity and that type of stuff. You'd be out on the town and you'd run into your favorite band or something like that, which was always so cool. And, and you touched on something and I don't want to get too existential here, but like There really is this awesome idea that, you know, when we align with brands and we, we display those brands, it really says a lot about who we are and you were able to really go out and perhaps and I don't know this to be true. I mean, was this sort of your first touch in realization of the power of brands and aligning with brands and also, not just that you aligned with one brand when what I really heard from you is that, you know, young stix who wasn't stix at the time was really this combination of many brands in order to kind of be the person that you wanted to be. Steve "Stix" Nilsen 13:38 Hundred percent you know, I can honestly this is, again, gonna sound cliche, Fast Times return Hi, I will completely 100% that movie. I went checker dance. But the funny thing is, you can find him in Minnesota. My sister was going to school in Arizona, I get a graduate degree, and they actually she was able to get a pair for me there. And I remember I wore those and they ain't Another thing is I didn't want to wear socks or anything but Korean socks. They were like a science experiment. I mean it was just was so those things were so right. My mom would meet people outside. But those were like a badge of honor walk around those vans because we didn't have them in Minnesota. Now they're solely to get their name bands and always been kind of mail order. Back then it wasn't FedEx, you know, maybe there was but like, I, you weren't gonna get your shoes overnight, right? You find the backup when you said Thrasher or Transworld or skateboarder and that was around, and you'd fill out it was 1799 for tear shoes, whatever it was back then. But those to me that and like camel pants and just a white t shirt. It's pretty cool kit, you know, 1984 you know, whatever it was, you know? I mean it was and so you're right and but you gotta remember that he we didn't have Abercrombie and Fitch, we didn't have, again, Pac son. He didn't have these places. You just like Okay, I'm gonna go to the department store. And then we think of fun ways to maybe monkey around with the clothes. I might not mean to designer I can't so to save my life. But maybe it alters a jacket completely. Obviously you're cut the sleeves off. If you want to. mean like you're just wrong. And by no means again, I wasn't. Let's not paint this picture and walk around like a guy. That's cool enough, but I always try as best I could with what little I had to work with, to tweak it a little bit. You know, I didn't want to be the same shirt, same things, everybody else because they all we all wear the same outfits with costumes, as I like to say, at the time. Marc Gutman 15:18 Yeah. What do you think that interests like in fashion and pop culture came? Because it certainly shows up later in your career. And we'll talk about that. But you know, where do you think that really came from? Where was one of your parents kind of into that stuff? Was it more your association with your friends? Steve "Stix" Nilsen 15:32 No friends, so I came from the most conservative household ever, you know, very Christian, amazing upbringing. I don't have a complaint in the world. It's just very, very conservative. You know, I mean, now the house is pretty much like I think those rooms I still never been in or have been their house, you know, but and that's no disrespect. But definitely I was there was one of my family was near punk rock. I don't know. I have three siblings. My oldest is my brother. And she did introduced me to a lot of bands that I got into late and like I'm talking about the last five years were way before I ever thought I would like it, you know, Fleetwood Mac, he would play jurnee. He would play Pablo Cruz, he would play. What's the one like Michael McDonald, Doobie Brothers, all these things, which at the time I didn't care for, as I've gotten older, like, I kind of dig it back. You know, I mean, it's some of the stuff which I never would have never. That's way too slow for me at the time. But now I've come to appreciate like journey. Like I just got journey's Greatest Hits for President. Are you kidding me? Like, if I know I played in my living room. Marc Gutman 16:33 So we went here that's exclusively with Mack and journey. All right, everybody. So like stix is a Fleetwood Mac journey efficient. Steve "Stix" Nilsen 16:40 I mean, I can't listen all the time. I wouldn't be able to sit still long enough. But the funny thing is, though, my brother did go to concerts a lot. So I kind of got caught. He told me some hilarious stories when this first arena shows me you know, I must have been five years old, and he's going to these and tell me when the house lights went off. The first time it's film that stadiums with North Stars played. He literally thought there was a power outage. You know, they do that. before they get on stage, and I forget who was going to see I think was, oh, Linda Skinner, something like that. And, you know, they cut the house lights, obviously for anyone and he just said how he almost urinated soiled himself because he thought the power was out, you know, but just explain what it's like to go to his first show. But he took me to see kiss. He was in college, and I was in middle school, whatever it was, and I got to see kids when they were in their heyday. This is 1979 or 80 or something like that. got like, that's first time ever smell weeks. I had no idea what the smoke was everywhere. And it just smelled funny, you know? But again, I taken my brother ticularly first kiss show again. That was the full original lineup. So I got to see that was pretty cool. Marc Gutman 17:36 Pretty great claim to fame. So here you are, you know, you're just finding out who you are. You're dabbling and skate culture and music and figuring things out. You know, like, what was your first real job and what was it in marketing or was it Steve "Stix" Nilsen 17:51 God? No. I my first look from a neighbor was he literally had a Chris craft boat where those goodies whether they're called you know the ones for eautiful Have to store that. But in the meet the same time, my brother at this point my brother has was in law school, whatever, but he'd worked for a local golf course. And I ended up because they liked my brother so much. They literally like, I got a job there. And it was awesome because I was in charge of the golf carts. So I go around, but I got to interact with everybody. You know, I mean, anytime you just wanted a cart, I'm going to bring it up in in the golf carts and really actually a really good golf course. So public course. But that was one where I was just, you got to, you know, really interact. A lot of people see different people for different walks of life, because again, it's a public course. Right? And that's where I was introduced to the Beastie Boys, because one of the guys that I worked with him cards, pull out this license, the L tape, and I was like, What is this and I was like, I think I melted the tape. We listen to it so much. And I just was so fascinated because I didn't know anything about hip hop or rap or anything like that. But I loved the Beastie Boys style those guys to me, if anyone has moved the needle culturally, with anywhere, this the Beastie Boys, I'm serious. Like I was So in fact, I'm thinking how could these dudes leave their from Brooklyn and you know, the fighter, right, all that stuff, but if you really outside of that hit that they had. So the subs, like amazing like Paul's boutique, I think is one of most underrated albums. Like, I put in the top 10 most underrated album, I mean, what those guys did. And it's ironic now there's this spike Jones documentary on it, but those guys just look at what they went through. I mean, I remember reading an article they were they bought ups, outfits to wear on on stage, but yet they had a big catalog out of like, retro champion where they were going to do who was doing that at the time, you know, I mean, just retro old school athletic wear, and they were making it cool, you know, and then I saw him play live and I was like, Okay, this is this is a whole nother thing, you know, but that was I roundabout way of saying how I was like, I got exposed to something else. You know, being at this public golf course. It's like, wow, Beastie Boys. What the hell is this? You know, I knew all about punk rock, but I didn't know and then that there became a crossover. Those guys originally. Were coming in, you know, not many people. I don't think That lookup I think it's probably walk stools are first of all up and look it up. Yeah. And Marc Gutman 20:04 so you know musics of throughput through your life where'd you go after the golf course, Steve "Stix" Nilsen 20:08 golf course my senior year and then I worked construction, which, again, great life lessons there. I learned to this day enough to be dangerous. It's Brian wall wiring plumbing. But it also made me realize I didn't want to do manual labor. It was a great experience. I got through with friends we a lot of laughs But I knew it was something that I didn't want to do. Second summer, I worked at a bank. And that was another huge learning experience because I'd have to go every morning I put on a tie go down downtown Minneapolis, and I remember calling my parents saying I'm going to be in college for 15 years. This is what the real world is like, because I can't it was just like, droids marching every day. The same thing was just a miserable experience on under artificial light in a cube. You were wearing a tie. I was wearing a tie. Yep. And I the funny part is I'd have to drive myself First Avenue to get to the where I worked. And I thought someone's gonna just pull me out of my jeep and just wild me for wearing a tie so close to sacred spot like that, right? Who would have thunk it years earlier, I'm waiting in line with all the other kids trying to get a ticket. And I drive by and wearing a tie. Right? And then I thought that the most the least painful thing to do would be to be a copywriter because I was originally an English major, and I didn't know what to do with that. I loved it. I got to work on the Harley Davidson account. I got to work on this thing called Skeeter Boats. I'm not kidding you. But it was like it was a cool environment. My boss was really cool. I got college credit for it, which is awesome. From there, I went to work for Northwest Airlines. And the reason I'm telling you that is the fact that I studied abroad in Australia for a bit and by that when I got this internship with united with Northwest Airlines, which became Delta, they just opened up the Australian market. So they actually ran everything by me to see if it was going to be authentic or not. And it was just something about travel once again. I'm like wow, this place I live in this earth. I got credit for it. And my payments was they gave me four tickets to go anywhere in the world. I wanted to go back paying cash. And then my last internship for credit was I work for a public relations for Minnesota North Stars, the hockey team. And I obviously did a great job for Dallas the next year. No, it really I just didn't realize I didn't want to work. It's not what it's cracked up to be to work for protein. But it's not okay. When you're in the bowels of the stadium, not not only the fun part was those I part of my job is to take players to go talk to schools. And that was, I will argue that not just because I play hockey, but professional hockey players are probably the coolest pro athletes will ever meet your life. They're so humble and self mocking and appreciative and because most of them did come from small towns in Canada or Europe or wherever, or or they went right into juniors and never really got finished high school. So for them, they're just happy go lucky and it was a great experience. So that's a long winded way of explaining kind of experiences I had. Marc Gutman 22:57 Yeah, where'd you go on those four free trips. Steve "Stix" Nilsen 23:00 Let's see I blew my knee out. So I went to see a friend in Maui who's a dive instructor. I'm a certified no Patty diving, whatever. And I would just because I couldn't move my leg, I think I could every day, which is diving groups. And I just tagged on behind the group. So I got to scuba dive every day for free for 10 days, where my leg was just dragged behind me in the water, and I did that. So I think I went to San Francisco but then I went back to Australia, because after I graduated college I got and that's where I had my epiphany for my career. That's where I was like, that's when the light bulb went off. I know the exact spot on Bondi Beach rather sitting having a beard like seeing that when there's a skate they used to have skate ramps, now their actual cement bowls, and I remember I want to be an actual sports. I was watching these guys surf and like I want to be this is this is like I would go into the surf shops and every corner I would always want to surf shops. There's this brand SNP that wasn't really a player for a while it actually sports business and that was bought by Riot snowboards and then it's just kind of like it's licensed out now. But that's a hot brand on Australia. The time is just fascinating. Everything about everything. Every little magazine I get my hands on. I was absolutely infatuated and funny thing is my job down there had nothing to do with music art or action sports. It looked I was writing copy for a nonprofit that I care because it gave me a tax ID to live there for a year and live on a beach. So that's really where I was like, This is what I do. Marc Gutman 24:19 Yeah, like, what was the will kind of take a little moment here, but like, what was the scene like that? I mean, was there really like an action sports industry at that time? Or is it more like these sort of like little brands, little skate shops, like what does it look like at that time? Steve "Stix" Nilsen 24:34 It's, you know, the one thing that was starting to take off at that point was snowboarding. Okay, this is 95 year of 95. And I lived in Australia, and I made my way over to New Zealand to ride it's called the remarkable mountains over there. I mean, I still have my first snowboard jacket that literally is a glorified flannel with like a Teflon pad on the bottom and it's funny, it's like dropped, which frankly is back in style, though. I should pass it on next year. But never it was just everything about it to me though black flies was like the hot sunglass brand and they made goggles my first goggles were black box okay, but it wasn't it were the really the final part. The final catalyst for me saying this is what I have to do is I got back to the states turned down some job offers were literally charity from like my buddy's parents You know, it just it was nothing I would have accelerated or really enjoyed. It doesn't matter what it was. I t just was not to me it's more corporate stuff right. And I went to my first work tour. And at that point was the second year of the tour. I missed the first year living in Australia but I saw it in a magazine and they had a couple bands so I just still to this day love orange nine millimeter quicksand l seven, some wine was a part of the first one. And I drove to Milwaukee Wisconsin with my girlfriend at the time. And that's where I saw a Warped Tour and I still have some photos of like me in the pit shooting with a 35 millimeter inside, penny wise and then the outside me shooting guy skating the skateboard and remember going this is what I want to be this What I've got to do like this is so me just just people having fun was punk rock. We're skaters. And then the brands that were part of that, you know, at the time it was billabong, and I think even though there's a thing called split, it was it was a clothing brand. They were part of it. But they had a little booth there. And, you know, I was a little kid in the candy store free stickers. I mean all that like I get it. You know, that was my first taste. But yeah, this is like marketing 101 or grassroots marketing, just get the brand in people's hands and let them decide for themselves where to put the stickers what to do what brands, you know what I mean? And that was that was my aha, like, Okay, I'm onto something here. Because there's no way there'd be a tour like this if this wasn't what yet. But you got to remember, this is before magic zoomies existed at that point. But before these was in the stores started, really, really being a little more prominent in cities more and more popping up and skateboards is something it had been in California, obviously in some pockets around the US. But I was sitting there going, Hey, how can I get in this business? And that was literally like that. I mean, I was like laser focus. Like how many The minute I got home, I started my long slog and try to get my foot in the door. Marc Gutman 27:05 Yeah. And so it's so interesting to me. I mean, you know, from a very young age when you describe those internships, you were very astute to align your interests with some sort of business need, right? So you know, you love to travel so you went to work for the airline, you loved hockey, so you went to the North Stars realized it wasn't for you, but that's okay. And then you go to Australia and you have this like, you know, this this epiphany and what I was imagining when you were talking just about that environment were with grassroots marketing and people handing out stickers. It was so interesting to me. It's kind of like where we are now today with social media, right? Where we're like brands don't really own the brand. There's all this conversation and all this interaction going on outside the brand, by the customers by their by by the fan base and very much like that was happening for you, right, like everyone's handing out stickers and authenticating the brand and having their own conversation. Somebody was just like, really interested. To me, but you come back and you're like, I want to be in this business. I mean, what's that plan? I mean, so, Hey, man, I've been struck a few times in my life to where I'm like, I know exactly what I want to do. And I have this amazing fantasy. And then I go like, Oh, crap. Now I got to like, actually make it a reality. And sometimes that doesn't always add up. Like how did you like, start that process of getting into action sports and actually making a career out of it? Steve "Stix" Nilsen 28:26 Honestly, I grabbed every magazine I could get my hands on. And I just got to the players were and not not in a backdoor I'm in it was like I just I knew brands that I really liked. brands who maybe didn't resonate with me as much and I had no choice. This is pre internet. Like I'm cold call, right? Well, then I find out there's this thing called si a show. And I literally was 300 bucks for like three nights and airfare to Treasure Island at Vegas. And I went into the show with resume And the funny part is I've never really told him the story. I was thinking to myself because I was surrounded by like, how am I gonna? Help me stand apart? Like, these guys probably gonna have pluses I didn't know what the trim bro man that everyone's just kind of gets backdoor bro jobs. And in Minnesota like I grew up in a walk, right so I've flown ski I wakeboarder which is how I destroyed my leg. But I also compare for so I literally was handing out these resumes with us a picture staples of me barefoot, right because I thought that was kind of badass. Like, you know, I didn't know what I know now about how what like a charity of sorts and he's actually sports Branson, so I'm sure in high tech Okay, cool. You know, you don't hindsight 2020 but I thought how can I turn some heads or get some attention with my resume? So I attached picture of me barefooting you know, cuz I still do those tumble turns and go down. You can spin around and get back on your feet again. I thought you know, someone find that interesting, but they got it in hindsight. I mean, I might as well Wearing a tutu? No, they probably thought, who's this clown. So I literally when I went started doing was collecting business cards. Everywhere I went and I took some, some people were nice enough to give me like a honcho card. And other people would give me like a customer service persons card, it didn't matter. And then I thought, Okay, I'm going to take what I learned at the agency, and I took their ads from the different brands and I made them funny. I just stopped funding them making stuff and get a kick out. So I was mailing back at this again, pre internet, so I was really going to everyone under the sun Marc Gutman 30:33 Yeah, how are you making ads talk about that. I mean, were you like making collages with paper Steve "Stix" Nilsen 30:37 I would take their ads out of the magazine Exacto and change their headline, or take a Polaroid or something and kind of superimposed on at the time and it was kind of a cool come to write, but I didn't, I didn't I didn't register, Marc Gutman 30:50 but you're not using like a computer or like Photoshop or anything. Steve "Stix" Nilsen 30:53 I didn't have any of that. I didn't have computer for years. And I thought I would mail them back and of course then I will The phone call and you gotta remember man, like, I'm trying to get my career all my buddies are in Wall Street. You know, that was where I grew up. I wrote that set with those guys role. And that's nothing wrong with that just wasn't my scene, but you know, and then my parents dining room table, you know no buddies are all partying in New York, right? But I just knew I couldn't do it but I kept calling, calling calling some people I got through to some people I didn't. But I just knew that I knew I was so mobile. I was like, someone want to be moved to California because I was moved to Chula Vista for that brand SMP. I would, I probably never would have left Southern California and I moved to California, and it just didn't pan out. But again, it just you just lesson learned. You got to try and try and try again because you are gonna have the door slammed in your face, especially that industry being as young as it was at the time. I mean, it was like the ultimate like old boys network, you know, and, boy, good luck breaking into that. And I just knew I was going to be an asset to a brand but I also still knew I need to learn a lot from pinion that only makes a mistake once and never having a mistake again and I'll own up to it. You know, so that's really where I was at the time. Marc Gutman 32:03 But I'm sorry, I missed that. Did you? Did someone bite on that? And did you get a job? Steve "Stix" Nilsen 32:08 Yeah, I what had happened is I was getting so down in the dumps. And the one brand that I focused in on because they weren't every single magazine snow surface skate magazine was arawak. And at the time, they had the who's who, every sport. They even had a few surfers, and I was taking their ads and doing stuff in cut. I don't remember her last meeting, but the director of marketing, same thing was Nina. All I remember is that they were they moved from Carlsbad, California to Pennsylvania, and I was just thrashing around with letters, and I call call call cold call. And then I picked up the phone one day and said, hey, it's Steve Nilson, you know, and she was Oh, it's cute kid again, because Listen, kid, I don't have time to talk to you. My house just burned down. I gotta leave for Europe and fires like, Alright, I gotta go. So I mailed her a smoke detector in the mail. And she called me like last But two weeks, three weeks later, she's Oh my god, you have balls kids like, Yeah, she flew me out. And that's what I end up getting a job. That's what I needed. That's why I was always confident, like, one on one with someone, but I just needed a chance. I just needed someone open the door for me, you know, and apparently I did well, my interview, you know, but I just I guess maybe I was so pumped up from trying to get in the industry that I probably overwhelmed with all those feeling. It was just longing for an opportunity to just like, show I know what I was talking about. And I guess the one thing that you know, I was fortunate enough to go to some really good schools Is that you? I was I learned how to kind of cut mentalize and articulate what I not only looked at the industry and just being a sponge, which showed me how when I'm interested in something, I am like that idiot savant. Like I can just absorb everything. Remember every little detail and I think I would probably overwhelmed with them when I was interviewed at arawak. But again, all I needed was that chance and they gave it to me and the rest of you know what that is. So that was my first stepping stone but I had this Fight and claw to get that, because there was still an old boys network even at erawan at the time, they're like, why would you hire a guy from Minnesota? No. And my parents were so blessed because they taught me early on things when only manners but being a good listener. And, you know, by that you can you can learn from people and comment on it versus some people just want to be heard all the time. And so I've been blessed the way I was raised, because I think that I was able to do both of them. I was a student of the game, but then some that I was going to go out this kind of a calculating way and not just fly by night for stuff against the wall. Hope it sticks. Marc Gutman 34:34 You know? Do you remember that first day at arawak? Steve "Stix" Nilsen 34:37 I do. And you know, I'm gonna be honest with you. I feel again, I haven't really ever told anyone this but I just remember one of the first big meetings I was at. And there was a few people and again, it doesn't matter who it is whatever else but I just sit there going in my brain. Were positions that I wanted and going, Oh my gosh, I know I could run circles around this person. Like no comparison and I I was amazed. It's my first taste. And it happens to this day of people you could put in positions either, you know, right or wrong happens. But I'm thinking, I would absolutely crush that position. And that was the only thing where I was like, Okay, I'm the one getting chided, because I'm from Minnesota, and I'm looking at these people, like, I'm sorry, but there was just I started questioning these people could even put a sentence together, you know what I mean? Like, you'd be cool all day long, like, Hey, man, there's got to be a business acumen to this too. You know, that's all it was just again, no disrespect to anyone in particular. It was just more of I sat there going, wait a second. So I'm getting chided by these guys. And I'm sitting there going, you got to be kidding me. Like, what? You know, um, so that was a big eye opener whether it was an old boys network was just like, selling to someone and that kind of thing. And I don't know, this is a brand you can't just off your Bros. Like you gotta have people who bring in people that know what they're doing, you know, but I think then again, I wasn't a physician because I had no experience at the time to do that. I know like the stand up. So became my goal. to basically get these What do you want to say? feathers, my capper arrows in my quiver to learn, learn, learn, learn and learn. So every part of the business, the sales part, the marketing part, the production part. And that's what I set out to do. Marc Gutman 36:13 And so what was your role when you started and what was your role when you left Steve "Stix" Nilsen 36:17 So funny that when I started, I'm not kidding you. My first thing because I wanted to get my foot in the door, was I was a merchandiser. I'm not kidding. So my skin my role was to run around big to stores and make sure our stuff look good. But the funny thing is, it became very, very obvious to me that we were doing it wrong. And I was so low on the totem pole. No one would listen to me but like, the Tony Hawk shoe should not been to Carnival should not have been on the wall at journeys, because that was the lifeblood of the skate shops. And I started telling him that but the person who reported you didn't want any part of it was the type of person that just never wanted to rock the boat and just kind of did on the roof. And I was just didn't sit with me. I'm like, No, no You can't just do enough. All right, don't check box. It's like this isn't right. We're headed for disaster here. Because back to skate shops like I felt comfortable in skate shops. And to this day, I could go have a conversation with a kid about skaters or surfers snowboarders. You don't I mean, it's a different it's, it's almost like a little clubhouse of sorts. But that was a real eye opener. So what did I do? I just tried to like I went to Nordstrom for Pete's sake, we had our shoes in Nordstrom. Okay. And I'm sitting there going, Okay, like, there's no product differentiation here. Like we can't be having the skate stuff in a Nordstrom. You just can't do that to these little shops because, you know, they were, you know, less than what you'd get it. You know, I mean, Nordstrom just undercutting and price wise, I guess maybe not torture, but you know, some of the other places the bigger big box stores mean arawak ended up paying for the sins of all the brands that are in malls now. Because it was so it was just antichrist to have your shoes, or any action sports apparel in a mall, you know? So that was where I started and then at these meetings, I would say this is what I'm seeing out in the field, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And to make a long story short, basically they said, okay, tough guy. If you see an issue with a pricing, one, you want to get development. And that's when I got into the snowboard boot development, and spent three weeks a month in Asia building summer boots, and it's actually dabbled in shoes as well in the skate stuff. And again, total eye opener, got to travel the world like, you know, see, Bangkok see Hong Kong numerous times, Taiwan, Thai Chung, you know, and the funny thing is at the time that he was getting all the crap for sweatshops, but they're getting picked on because of the big one and having success but we all share the law at all. But we all share the same factories. They were the ones who just the big target, but I thought was so funny that they were getting all this heat, the sweatshop thing and we're all in it. And frankly, factory jobs like the best job in town, a lot of those places they were getting, you know, people lived on campus. They three square meals a day, their schools for the kids, it was actually like Good deal for the local locals. So I just I learned a ton from that time being a product developer. And then fast for the last role I held was was basically snow marketing measure. You know, working with Mike arts and Joe Babcock and the abs. It's funny, it shifted from being a rapper to going into development. And that was the last role I had was was when they moved the company to Colorado, and I was working the snow division. Marc Gutman 39:32 This episode brought to you by wildstory. Wait, isn't that your company? It is. And without the generous support of wild story, this show would not be possible. A brand isn't a logo or a tagline or even your product. A brand is a person's gut feeling about a product service or company. It's what people say about you when you're not in the room. Wild story Helps progressive founders and savvy marketers build purpose driven brands that connect their business goals with the customers they want to serve. So that both the business and the customer needs are met. This results in crazy, happy, loyal customers that purchase again and again. And this is great for business. If that sounds like something you and your team might want to learn more about, reach out @ www.wildstory.com. And we'd be happy to tell you more. Now back to our show. Yeah, and so in at that point, you know, you were doing snowboard boot development, you're in the snow division. Did you start doing some of those unique collabs at AIR walk or was that a little bit later in your career? Steve "Stix" Nilsen 40:48 That was that came later. But I think that why those came to me was because of my understanding of product timelines, raw materials, how that works, how the how they come to production. caliber work. So if you want to work with a brand like, Hey, we want to do a shoe or a jacket rubber for it, let's do it for, you know, 2021 season Well, this day and age, I don't care how good the technology, you still can't get anything done that fast. And you're gonna like, probably wouldn't be able to unless you put a patch on something that's an existing silhouette, you know, but again, we did, I will be honest with you. I mean, I do have a few pieces that I have made for myself over there that are one off, and it's just kind of fun to have something that no one else in the world has, you know, because I knew that just custom shoes for friends and family, things like that. It's not a big deal. All I do is have a little extra different material to make the tongue a little different color or whatever. That was super fun for me. And again, I can't draw to save my life. But I think one of the things that I was able to do because my time is merchandiser when we would do a design review and put all the silhouettes on the wall. I'd like to think I picked out probably the one was going to sell the best off the shelf. Like I don't know what it is. I just Look at it took me two seconds, I look at that one. And I'm not saying it always was the case. But I think that again, I want my learnings of being at retail, and going to numerous countless, because I covered the whole Midwest accounts, everything from shields, in the Dakotas to these little skate shops, like I was like, okay, that's okay, what the company is doing that they're not going to do. Now given. Once I went into the office environment. I was more traveling to like trade shows and events and things like that I wasn't on the boots on the ground as much. But again, unfortunately, that culminated in so many poor decisions made by the teams, the leadership that by the time, my counterparts and I got a position to do anything that brand was pretty much done, unfortunately. So that was my MBA. I'm not the only one. Were my office, my family and I have a master's degree and that was my extra degree. And how not to do business was what I learned. arawak Yeah, when I started getting that would arawak argue is one of the top action sports brands of any time. We just made the number boots on word. I thought they were eating burdens lunch wise. And they haven't done head to toe yet. But just if you look at the old rosters of the teams, I mean, there was no comparison. You know, it was that hot and to the way that that that poor decisions that were made, in hindsight and again, it was just it bringing the sales guys from the big shoe companies, you know, phila, Reebok wherever, didn't sell these guys were taking orders, it dumped the shoes on the table and furniture, knees, that's looking stuffs, the skate stuff that ended up in journeys. And then we just choke out the little guys that they've relied on Jeff rally shoe. There were a lot in 2002. There were a lot of Jason Lee, there are a lot you know, Mike Frazier, and we kill them. We literally like it. Because again, Vance wasn't a player that they are now. And it was asked us at these events on the wall, the skate shops, and the majority Was there one shoot and it's just to see that happen and not really have any control and I'm never gonna get in that position again. That was brutal. Marc Gutman 43:56 Yeah, and you're I mean, you really did you. I mean, you hit it like it's heyday like where it was like at its best. And then due to private equity and demands on shareholder returns really kind of just went went downhill and didn't go the right way. But, you know, like you said, you did get basically an MBA there, you learn so much. I mean, we don't have to get into it now. But I know that you have so many close friends from those from those days as well and that have gone on to do other things. But from that point, you sort of start like a new chapter of your career, which really is turned into canned beverages in a weird way. And so if I forgot this, right, you went to red balls that right? Steve "Stix" Nilsen 44:38 Yeah, Marc Gutman 44:39 yeah. And so you got there and oh, my gosh, talk about sort of the poster child for action sports marketing. I mean, really, is there anything you know, at the time better? Steve "Stix" Nilsen 44:53 No, you know, I have to be honest with you like, the stars aligned for me at that point. It was without trying me. It took me a year. To get hired, and that's how they were so new, no one who had an energy drink was, when I think about it, we was it was so crazy, I guess would be the best way. And I'm not I'm not kidding you. It's like I won the lottery. Because all sudden, overnight, you know, again, they didn't have the brand equity yet they were they were gonna build that. But overnight, I basically had a, you know, on my expense report, I had a line item for a long time, like I could expense I mean, who does that? Right? And it took me a while to really, I was one of the first force marketing managers and I remember I've always believed in rolling my sleeves and training my team. I've never asked anyone to do something I would do myself. And I was putting on an event somewhere and I'm in Brighton all over the venue, right? And my boss stopped me. He's still a dear friend. He's like, Dude, what are you doing? And I'm like, dude, I gotta help you. Because that's why you have a budget to hire the event crew to worry about. Okay, I need you to make sure everything's straight. Like, again, you want to help, that's fine. You're going to help us big time by making sure your branding looks right and whenever it's just chill, like let the worker bees work. Your phone And so it's not saying I ever got comfortable with that. But but then it got to the point where we literally live by the mantra like, pay the fine. Like we asked for forgiveness, not permission. And it was unbelievable because right then we ended up having to remember the channel crossing. You know, we are Felix Baumgartner goes across the English Channel on a jet when he does that, right. And that became a benchmark where it was like, Alright, what's our next channel crossing? Because I've made international news, you know, and so that was where the heat was turned up on us as sports, right matches, what's the next athlete project you're going to do? What's the next event? What is the next channel crossing, you know? And so it was overwhelming to me. I mean, they treated us so well at Red Bull. I mean, just it's, the company is very, very skewed like they, they get it does have that euro vibe. They're very, very like driven and results driven. But the difference, this is one thing I've learned, which is my soft spot, is that I was never ever held to a scalable number. All right stix you do that we better sell X amount of cases. Never, ever once in my tenure, there was I ever held my hand held to the candle saying, if you're doing this, you better said we better sell more cancel. They just knew it. And I think that that is a key to a really, really successful team is when you all have a common goal, but you trust each other. And no one's ever packing anyone else. No one's ever like, well, he did this. She did that or whatever. No, it was like the part that became the biggest pressure cookers when we'd meet a couple times a year and we'd literally have each, each of us or five of us would get called out to the carpet. Okay, what's the next big idea? That's pretty when you got the Austrians over here, and they're like, what, what's next? What do we do? What's the next idea? And that you could never have the exclusive This is the crazy thing. Think about this. Money was never an excuse. Like I mean, I didn't know that was $960,000. Okay, money was never so that was not new, you could hide behind. But the funny part is, you can have a very, very impactful event with just a case of product in a bottle of vodka. You know, I mean, it's just dependent on you don't I mean? How to do that. Not everything was a home run. Not every single thing resonated. But this is before you know, certainly before any social media, you know, so the only output we had for a lot of this content was it was originally a G shock rush hour I think it was called some like that which became fuel TV. Well fuel TV. It was that like after a while, like okay, rebel, you're doing amazing stuff. But this is also becoming the rebel channel. We can't use all your content, which is why Red Bull and they started getting into this when I parted ways in the rebel media house where they become their own production and all that and, you know, it's funny, ESPN even sniffed out as well. It is brilliant on rebels. Yeah, they were painted by this crazy airtime and New Years and just put their own branded events on there. And you'll get basically if you consider what the cost of media buys, it was nothing was a drop in the bucket for Redbull to reach millions and millions, millions of people something super unique. You know, like Robbie Maddison doing the lawn rolls large jump over a football field. Or you know, All righty, Madison stuff. You've seen it years. And that's typical red bull, like we're going to come in. We're coming hot. We're going to do it right now. It's gonna be people can't touch us probably, you know, cost wise, you know? Marc Gutman 49:05 So why'd you leave red bull, if it was so great? Steve "Stix" Nilsen 49:07 You know what? Honestly there's like any company there was um, shifts and how they were going to do originally the sports marketing crew reported to Santa Monica and had a dotted line to Austria and and that got watered down and there was they decentralized that and you know it's like anything you get Growing Pains is a big company and you know when I started a sports marketing manager, you handle everything from a soapbox race or a photog which maybe you've seen where you know, flying the means when people make their own little crafts or jump off a deck, you know, they've done it everywhere all over the country of Portland, Santa Monica New York City. All sudden they broke it out to right now you're gonna have an event manager you're gonna have an athlete manager. It's just got her water down. I'm not saying from a control freak perspective that I needed my hand and everything. But then they want to they were talking about shifting people move different places, but surely wasn't really Colorado and Pascual Riven came out of nowhere and different stuff to think about how to hem and haw about us the passing of the money was pretty much a dormant brand. But I could sense there was this brand equity that was building because the athletes I care I could give whatever they wanted whatever bottles surface especially the skates know guys like I want Pepsi. Pepsi ribbon. I had had that in college and that was literally because it was whatever's on sale. Right. And it's just had this cachet to it as an escape guys special they're just like password and password like what is going on? And it's funny how that segue happened. Because I went in there going Oh, yeah, I can do some fun with this brand in the back of my head going holy crap. How you gonna pull this off with nobody? You know, I mean, talking I said over and over again talking about going penthouse to the poorhouse. That's exactly what happened. The budget was big time. Yeah, but then Marc Gutman 50:47 so and what was that? Like? What was the marketing plan at paps? I mean, like you said you have a lot, you know, not very much budget. So how did you deal with that? Steve "Stix" Nilsen 50:58 Well, the one thing that It became very clear to me was I had something that 99% of events need. And that's alcohol. And I knew if I could figure out the distribution system, you can't ship alcohol in certain legal but we had hired FM's field marketing managers, our market agents we had a calling in different cities. And we thought you know, we're going to do this as grassroots as in as in person as possible in you know, in marketing to amplify the brand. But we if the stars align the way a couple things got one, we were in a recession, okay, to perhaps in having marketing behind. So if nothing was being shoved down consumer throats, this is the you know, PB army SAP, none of that, but it was just it just chugged along. And we're cheap. I mean, the bottom line is with that, and I often like to refer to Goodwill hunting. Remember that that wealthy girl starts dating Matt Damon, and it's almost like she's kind of slinging it. He says to her, it's almost like you know, paps had this like kind of dirty connotation to it. You know, like you're a little dirty. I have in the past. The big aha moment for me, I think it was 2010, something like that. We did a, I'm sorry, I was approached friend or friend type thing, which is where a lot of my opportunities came from, like once I was able to pass on some of these doors started opening for me in music, art and action sports because of my relationships and past jobs. And I got hit up by I don't remember what brand it was. It was Alexander when tech ran, but it was one of the brands was doing an event during fashion week in New York City and they said, We want taps there. And I'm sitting there scratching my head like, Okay, I have zero money to give you. This is something Heineken would pay 10 grand just to be in the door. I don't get it. So I said I will sponsor this but I need to be able to come check it out. And sure enough, I went there. I didn't have a black turtleneck like everybody else but whatever. That's right. And I walked backstage and it's passed in these bins and you know, they do that where they put the cloth drape in there and then they put water in the bins. It was us some shishi water and don't carry on. I'm not kidding you. But when the light bulb went off when I was sitting Around whenever he was milling about after the show was a runway show, and I sat there and watched it and whatever, didn't get half of what these people were wearing, but whatever I'm supposed to, but I saw these little wavy models carrying pops in their head. And I knew, right, well, they wanted nothing to do with the liquid inside. It had everything to do with it, they had that camera in their hand. And that to me was like that is brand equity. And literally, I always kind of looked at apps that way, I looked at it as it's not, we're not a beer company. We're a brand. And I think it drove the other beer companies nuts because they just couldn't figure out how to crack our code. But they weren't set up to. They couldn't be nimble. They couldn't do what we did. And we never asked permission, just like Redbull we just did it and we'd literally get asked for forgiveness. And I can say now knock on wood. I didn't have one thing but you the button, and there's a lot of illegal things that happen just b
Murray Bridge's central business district is bursting with colour with three new murals up on Seventh Street. A landscape of the River Murray featuring a native fairy wren by SA artist Morris Green has just been finished on the side of accounting firm Murray Nankivell. It follows the completion of a mural across the road by Melbourne artist Mike Makatron of a woman in a floral dress lying on lawn (pictured) The third mural on the Ray White wall is being completed in the next few days by two aboriginal artists, Shane Cook and emerging local Ngarrindjeri artist Harley Hall. Joining Jennie Lenman to discuss the initiative is Fulvia Mantelli, the Rural City of Murray Bridge's Leader of Arts & Development and Director of the Murray Bridge Regional Gallery.
Donald Hoaglund - Jewelry Designer- Master Goldsmith. Don has been designing jewelry for more than 40 years. He has focused on designs jewelry exclusively in silver, gold, platinum, precious stones and diamonds. Don established his Pegasus Artisans gallery and studio in 1970 in historic New Bedford, Massachusetts. Don Hoaglund was educated at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in the Metals and Fine Arts Program. PEGASUS ARTISANS 27 Seventh Street New Bedford MA 02740 508-999-6265 http://www.pegasusartisans.com pegasusart@verizon.net Music courtesy of www.bensound.com
Disclaimer: There are two potential routes via bicycle between Highland trailer park and Robin Hood Hills. One would involve going down the eastside service road along I-55 on down from the trailer park to Missouri Street and then down the southside service road along I-55-40 and to the Blue Beacon. It's also possible and more feasible to go southbound on the service road to Alcy Road, following until it merges with Seventh Street and then onto the southside service road. I misstated about accessing the Seventh Street overpass from the service road. Sorry about that. Episode 28: “One of the guys had a devil worshiping book and we would go by it” October 27, 2019 https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Black-Against-Memphis-Killers-ebook/dp/B06XVT2976/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=blood+on+black&qid=1559059428&s=gateway&sr=8-1 https://www.amazon.com/Where-Monsters-Go-Against-Memphis-ebook/dp/B06XVNXCJV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=XNLYB8QUIQ7F&keywords=where+the+monsters+go&qid=1559059470&s=gateway&sprefix=where+the+monsters+go%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-1 https://www.amazon.com/Case-Against-West-Memphis-Killers-ebook/dp/B07C7C4DCH/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=gary+meece&qid=1559059536&s=gateway&sr=8-3 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0753HJZ1P/?ie=UTF8&keywords=gary%20meece&qid=1559059573&ref_=sr_1_6&s=gateway&sr=8-6 https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Black-Against-Memphis-Killers-ebook/dp/B06XVT2976/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=gary+meece&qid=1559059573&s=gateway&sr=8-2 "It was like it never even happened" The Hutchesons, Vicki and son Aaron, were key to solution of the case, offering tantalizing evidence that resulted in the confession of Jessie Misskelley and subsequent arrests of Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin. Their stories, though, never quite panned out, as mother and son both put their imaginations to work on colorful yarns that increasingly posed problems for the prosecution. Tall, red-haired Vicki had a sketchy past, including charges for writing hot checks. In May 1993, she recently had separated from her husband, having moved April 19 from the West Memphis neighborhood adjacent to Weaver Elementary to Highland Trailer Park. There the 30-year-old had befriended Jessie Misskelley Jr. Aaron, a sturdily built, dark-haired 8-year-old, was in the same grade as the dead boys and in the Cub Scout troop run by Michael's father, Todd. Aaron had played regularly with Michael and Christopher. Aaron's description of their friendship grew over the course of police interviews into an ever-changing narrative in which he became a witness to the killings —- and ultimately an unwilling participant. But at first he was regarded as truthful in his tales of seeing five men participate in group sex in the woods and cooking a cat near the boys' “club house,” near where the killings occurred. In a report on May 28, Ridge found Aaron's claim to have seen cult activities from the “club house” to be credible. Ridge, though, was unable to find any sign of the “club house” —- apparently a tree stand that no longer existed by the time Aaron led officers into the woods. Meanwhile, his mother, drinking heavily and consuming a variety of prescribed and illegal drugs, resolved to “play detective” by getting to know Jessie's friend Damien. She had heard rumors that Echols was responsible for the murders. She claimed she learned that he was involved with a group known as the Dragons, who supposedly worshipped dragons and whose meetings included a ritual in which they sacrificed genitals. Victoria Hutcheson first heard about the murders while at the Marion Police Department on May 6, as news of the discovery of the bodies spread. She had taken a lie detector test about a $200 credit overcharge at the truck stop where she worked. She was checking on the results; she passed the polygraph and was cleared of potential charges but was fired nonetheless. She brought Aaron with her to the station, after checking him out of school when she learned the boys were missing. The boys were not known to be dead when the Hutchesons arrived at Marion PD. When Assistant Chief of Police Donald Bray learned Aaron had been friends with Michael and Christopher, he called the WMPD to inform them that Aaron might be a source of information. Then he was told the bodies had been discovered. Bray immediately began questioning Aaron and his mother. Vicki said Chris and Michael had asked Aaron to come play with them Wednesday right after school but she had refused permission. Aaron said he had been with his friends several times at Robin Hood Hills and that Michael had gone swimming in the ditch. His initial account contained none of the over-the-top details that marked later statements. Bray was well-acquainted with Jerry Driver and Steve Jones, two juvenile officers who had extensive dealings with Echols and friends. Bray readily concurred with them about possible occult aspects to the killings and with their suspicions about Echols and Baldwin. Bray was quickly convinced that Aaron could be the source of vital clues. He pursued information from Aaron long past the point of credibility. Aaron's first statement to West Memphis police on May 10 was full of vivid description that had little relation to reality — he said a black man with yellow teeth driving a maroon car had stopped to tell Michael that Michael's mother had sent him to pick up Michael and that Michael rode off with him. The Moore back yard literally backed up to the main entrance at Weaver Elementary; no one picked Michael up or would have had reason to pick him up; he walked home that day, as always. On May 27, Aaron told another fantastic tale, though just credible enough to excite investigators. A snippet of that interview, with his childish voice eerily saying “Nobody knows what happened but me,” was played back to Misskelley on June 3, one of several effective interrogation techniques used to elicit Misskelley's confession. Aaron said he, Michael and Chris had a club house in Robin Hood and that “sometimes we watched these men. … They were uh, doing nasty stuff. … They, they do what men and woman do,” going on to say that the five men gave each other oral sex while the boys watched from a hiding place. He said all but one of the men wore black T-shirts, with one wearing a white T-shirt and having long hair. They all carried “big knives.” He described them smoking rolled-up cigarettes that “stunk” and said they painted their faces black. “There was a skull commander he had on a necklace and there is a snake in its eye. …'” The necklace was a pendant similar to a pendant or earring that Echols lost at the Hutcheson home. Aaron had become fascinated by the jewelry after discovering the earring. Aaron said the men used a briefcase, a detail that agreed with later stories from Jessie Misskelley Jr. about the cult meetings. Aaron said the men had been “mean” to a dog but “they caught cat they cut his head off and ate it. … They ate the whole cat but his head” after cooking him. Misskelley and others told about killing and eating pets. Aaron thought the boys went to watch the men on Wednesday … “They got caught, and then they never told the men, and the men sorta killed them.” On June 2, shortly before the arrest of his friend Jessie, Aaron elaborated with details about the men, saying they would dance around a fire and say “bad stuff” about “Jesus and God. I mean the Devil and God. … That they said they like the Devil and they hate God.” Aaron told Ridge and Allen: “They wore all white and they painted themselves black. … They all talk in Spanish.” Aaron also had a strange story about Misskelley: “Little Jessie said that um, he seen Michael. …. He seen a police car. He was coming out from the um and he seen the police car and like he ran under … back underneath the bridge. … He didn't see Chris or Steve. … Little Jessie said he seen a um he seen a cop … cop car coming out from underneath the bridge close to my house … It was close to my, I think there were coming to my house, and they … they got lost to where I lived.” Ridge asked: “… You think Stevie and Michael were coming to your house?” Aaron: “Because I think they all was, I told Michael before.” Ridge: “Where you lived, so you thought maybe they were going to ride over to your house? And Little Jessie said he thought he saw them that day. Is that right?” Aaron: “He did see Michael.” Ridge repeated: “He did see Michael.” Aaron: “Michael has brown hair and he had on our Cub Scout T-shirt and his blue pants.” Ridge: “Oh, where did he see him at?” Aaron: “He seen him — you know that bridge where that train going today um, he seen him underneath that one. … That's close to my house.” If Misskelley actually told Aaron the details about the clothes, that would be highly incriminating, but Aaron's statements had little credibility; as for second-hand statements from Misskelley, even less so. In his initial statements, Misskelley said he had seen a boy on a bicycle near Seventh Street — one of the routes between Highland and Robin Hood — who hid when he saw a police car. Apparently Misskelley also told Aaron this story —- to no clear purpose. Ridge asked Aaron about Misskelley's friends, and Aaron mentioned Bubba (Ashley) and Dennis (Carter). Asked about someone named Damien, he said “Bubba's friend, Bubba's friend. … I never knew him, but Jessie … Jessie um, shown me him and I didn't get real close to him.” Ridge asked questions trying to connect possible suspects with the men in the woods, but Aaron had never seen any of them elsewhere, except once at a Flash Market convenience store. The one who wore a white tank top was paying for gas for “a nice car … it was a convertible.” Asked if the men had seen the boys, Aaron replied, “Uh, I think so because that one man with the white tank top said ‘Hi fellows, it was … he said wasn't you guys watching us?' … We got … We got … We got kind scared, we ran right out. … he just said come back, and we didn't say a word because we knew we wasn't suppose to talk to strangers?” Ridge pushed Aaron to be specific about the “nasty things” the men did. Aaron explained they would put a penis “in somebody's bottom.” After the June 3 arrests, Aaron gave statements on June 4, 7, 8 and 9 describing how he rode over to Robin Hood after going home with his mother to Highland on May 5. He began claiming he witnessed Damien, Jason and Jessie kill his three friends. The June 4 statement to Don Bray had such unlikely details as Michael and Chris finding guns during the assault: “… They said on a count of three, we are gonna jump out and Michael said, one, two, and he jumped out, he pointed the gun at them … he pulled the trigger and nothing came out cause it wasn't loaded.” He described Misskelley pursuing Stevie: “He chased him down, he caught him and … he put his face in the water for about five seconds and pulled it out, and he said I don't want to kill you, yet, until what my boss says. … He went to his boss and he said that, you need to kill him, cause we already killed the other two.” The “boss” was Damien. He alleged Damien raped Michael and that Michael had died and turned blue after being cut in the neck. He claimed Chris also was cut in the neck and “they cut their private parts off” all the boys. He claimed Baldwin had walked around the Hutcheson home, tapping on the window, while carrying a “policeman's gun.” The parts of the June 4 statement that could be checked out — such as injuries to the boys — bore little relation to reality, but police continued to set up interviews with the boy. Aaron repeated much of the statement on June 7, including the description of the boys using guns and of Damien being “the boss.” After being asked about contradictory statements concerning the roles of Jason and Jessie, he claimed that Jason asked to be called Jessie. Aaron said on June 8: “Jessie told me that something was gonna happen. … Something was going to happen to Michael, Chris and Steve … He uh, he just said uh, you go and get your friends and I'll go and get my friends, we will do down to Robin Hood and do something. … “I seen them Wednesday … I told them to let's go to Robin Hood, and then ask my mommy if I could go. … Steve and Chris came up to my mommy's window and asked if I could go to Robin Hood. … They asked if I could go over to his house for two hours and stay. … She said, no. … Then I went there after I got finished doing … on my bike. … I went the Service Road, then I got to Luv's and turned ... I went to Blue Beacon.” Then, Aaron told Bray, he went into the woods where he saw Michael and Chris hiding from “them men” behind a tree. The five included “Jessie Jason and Damien. I didn't know the other two.” Aaron said Michael told him that Stevie, who wasn't there, had gone with “the fifth man,” Misskelley. “Steve got away, he got caught back and got killed. … Steve seen Jessie and started running. … Then he got away, and ... he got away again and got caught. … He uh ran and Jessie uh, was chasing him and he hit his face on the pipe. … the pipe that you walk across. It wasn't bleeding, he just uh, started crying and stuff. … It was just a little bruise.” He said Michael and Chris jumped out of the tree to help Stevie. “Then they got caught, and got killed.” Aaron said Jessie killed Stevie but then described Stevie running into Damien and being stabbed in the stomach —- not an area where Stevie was actually stabbed. Then, he said, Stevie was cut in the neck. Stevie was stripped and thrown into the water, and “they turned blue and died … all three of them.” Later, he claimed Jessie raped Stevie. At this point Aaron's story, with some credible —- or at least possible — aspects but wrong on the wounds and other details, veered again into sheer fantasy. “And then they caught me and got tied up and about 40 seconds I got untied and left and then I didn't remember nothing else about it.” Aaron then said Michael died first with a stab wound to the neck and another wound from Jessie. Aaron said he saw all this from up in a tree: “I was trying to climb down, but I fell down and hit my, I hit my back … I could hardly walk or get up … I got up and I kicked. I kicked the knife and he, he tied me up and just left me there. … They said that they might kill me.” He said Chris was killed after Steve, after being raped by Damien. The story grew increasingly confused with various claims about who died first, with a story of Michael falling down after trying to get up after being stabbed and then hitting his face on a rock and wrapping up with the claim that Michael was cut on his private parts. The supposed plan for a meet-up in the woods to “do something” resonated with Misskelley's description of the teens' plans to go into West Memphis that day. But, coupled with a incoherent, error-filled fantasy, and coming after the arrest of Misskelley, Aaron's story only served to frustrate investigators. Vicki originally said Aaron was with her as she ran errands on the afternoon of May 5. By June 2, she was telling a different story to Bray. After initially refusing to let Aaron go over to Michael's house, “she thinks (4:00 p.m.) he rode his bike to his uncle Johnny Dedman's house, three streets over. He is supposed to check in with her every two hours. She has not asked Johnny if Aaron was there, on that day. She has not asked Aaron either. She doesn't remember if Aaron was back home by 6:00 p.m.” With that lack of detail about her small son's whereabouts, it suddenly was possible, if unlikely, that Aaron had been at Robin Hood Hills on May 5. Johnny Dedman also figured into Jessie Misskelley's alibi for May 5, with Misskelley and Aaron Hutcheson supposedly both being over at the Dedman home at roughly the same time. Despite being a potentially important witness both on the Aaron Hutcheson narrative and the Misskelley alibi, there is no available police interview with Dedman, though he did show up on the list of potential witnesses for the defense. In his June 9 interview with Bray and Gitchell, in the presence of his mother, Aaron repeated the story about Misskelley arranging the meeting. Aaron told them: “Jessie told me that um, something was going to happen to my friends.” Aaron said he was told this on Tuesday, with a meet-up between the groups set for Wednesday. The story was similar to the previous day's tale, with added details such as Jessie was the one who caught him and tied him up again. Gitchell pressed Aaron to tell the truth, with Aaron claiming that Jessie “abused” him. Police interviewed Aaron again on Dec. 31, 1993, with John Fogleman, Bray and James Thompson, Vicki's boyfriend, at the East Arkansas Mental Health offices. Taping behind a two-way mirror were Ridge and Gitchell. Vicki Hutcheson was elsewhere in the building, with Judy Hicks, the Hutchesons' therapist. Aaron told them that, before the killings, Jessie told him that he wanted to meet some of his friends. He said he had seen Jessie, Damien and Jason at Robin Hood when he had lived in the neighborhood. He saw them do “what men and women do.” Looking down, avoiding eye contact, Aaron told his story in a quiet, hesitant voice, often difficult to hear. Eventually he began crying. He said he did not want to talk about his story and had nightmares. “It makes me scared.” Pressed for details, he stopped talking and sat picking at his hands and then playing with a watch to keep his hands busy. He admitted his fear of Misskelley: “They'll kill my mom if I talk.” He claimed he had been abused by Misskelley: “he put his private in my bottom.” Aaron said he was afraid he would be taken from his mom because he had been abused by Jessie. Aaron said Misskelley wanted him to “do something bad” to get into Misskelley's “club,” and Michael and Chris were invited to join. Aaron did not know Stevie would show up. Aaron again told of riding his bicycle from Highland Park to Robin Hood, traversing the routes of the interstate and service roads. Such a trip, particularly a route of about 3 miles over the 7th Street overpass, would be feasible though not bicycle-friendly. He claimed he saw the attack from a hiding place, though Misskelley was aware of his presence. “He asked me if I wanted to kill them and I said no.” When the attack was over, “he said don't tell anybody. Don't tell anybody or I'll kill your mom.” “It was almost dark” he returned home. The next day, Aaron went over to Misskelley's home and “he only looked at me like I did something bad.” His description of Misskelley holding down Michael, Damien holding down Stevie and Jason holding down Chris was in accord with Misskelley's confessions generally. Aaron offered a number of contradictory statements about his own role. Aaron heard Damien say “We tricked you” as the attacks started. Aaron claimed there were two others present, a male in a hat with a dragon T-shirt and another male. He could offer little description beyond that, though he consistently described five attackers. He said the killers carried a duffel bag with equipment for the kill. They used canes in the beatings. Asked in which hand the teens held their canes, Aaron told Bray, “I get mixed up with right and left.” The Dec. 31 interview was in two parts, both roughly an hour. Aaron benefited from a break, returning in a confident and relaxed mood. Thompson was out of the room for the wrap-up session. At times, Aaron seemed strangely lighthearted, smiling as he talked about being abused by Jessie or about his friends being killed, in contrast to the earlier session. At one point, he stood up and playfully pulled a knife from his pocket that Thompson had given him. That prompted Aaron describing Jessie having a knife. Aaron played with the knife as the interview progressed, opening and closing the blade. Bray eventually took the knife from the boy. As the conversation turned toward knives, Aaron identified Damien as having the knife found in the lake behind Baldwin's trailer. Toward the end, Aaron got bored and restless. “I told everything two or three times. Can we leave?” Aaron said he was not scared of anyone “unless they're witches. I hate witches” and oddly expressed concern about Damien's son Seth, an infant, being a witch. Like many others, he said Damien possessed a cat's skull. He said “they ate the cat” after cooking it on a grill top. Then he drew a picture of the cat saying “help me.” While Aaron's story on Dec. 31 was less fantastic and more consistent than his earlier fantasies, the small, emotionally fragile boy clearly was not a reliable witness. Bray conducted yet another interview with Aaron at the Marion Police Department on Jan. 30, 1994, prompted by Aaron volunteering details on “some other stuff that happened.” Aaron told an implausible story about how Misskelley forced him to participate in the castration of Christopher and then drink a glassful of blood. Among unlikely details, he told how a “a white guy and a black guy” arrived on the scene, with the “black guy” threatening Aaron with a gun “and he made me say I hate Jesus and I love the devil.” Bray pressed for details until the boy lapsed into long silences. Aaron did not testify at trial. In 2004, he told the Arkansas Times he was no longer sure if he saw the murders or if, shocked by the deaths, he imagined he had seen the murders. At that time, he was convinced the boys had been killed by Mark Byers. In the same story, Aaron said his statements had been complete fabrications. He said the police tricked him into saying things that were not true. The statements clearly did contain elements of truth —- he did know the dead boys, for example. As with his mother, who eventually claimed her Echols stories were wildly exaggerated, a blanket disclaimer raised questions that likely will never be answered. His mother did testify in the Misskelley trial, though not the Echols/Baldwin trial, giving a fairly straightforward description of how Echols, with Misskelley, took her to a witches' meeting. She testified she and Echols left but Misskelley stayed. Jurors did not hear salacious details about incipient orgies and other bizarre goings-on.
"We saw Damien and Domini .... " Those who depended on the “Paradise Lost” movies for information about the West Memphis 3 killers heard little about eyewitnesses who placed Damien Echols near the scene of the murders. The jury who heard testimony from Narlene Hollingsworth and her son, Anthony Hollingsworth, in the Echols/Baldwin trial labeled their stories “honest” in jury notes. Narlene called the police on May 9, 1993. According to a handwritten note, she saw "Dominique" and "Damion" “walking from Blue Beacon toward Lakeshore Estates. They looked dirty. L. G. Hollingsworth (age 17) was at the laundromat at 9:30 p.m., it was noted. “According to Mrs. Hollingsworth, her nephew L.G. made the statement on Thursday that he knew about what happened before anyone else. “L.G. has 666 on the side of his boots. “Damion is mean & evil, according to Mrs. Hollingsworth.” The next day at 4:05 p.m., Mike Allen took an anonymous tip from “an old white female who stated she had overheard that a Dominick + Damion killed the three little boys + that L.G. last name unknown took and laudered there clothing. Caller stated that Damion had body parts in a box from the children. The called ... didn't give her name + (stated) that she heard that L.G.'s mother was going to lie about L.G.'s where abouts.” At 4:20 p.m. that afternoon, Detective Charlie Dabbs and Lt. Diane Hester took a statement from Narlene Virginia Hollingsworth, a 42-year-old Lakeshore resident. Ricky Sr., 37, and Narlene had four children who figured also in the narrative: Anthony Hollingsworth, 21, Ricky Hollingsworth Jr., 14, Tabitha Hollingsworth, 16, and Mary Hollingsworth, 10. Narlene told police: “What happened was Dixie Hollingsworth had asked me to pick her up at where she works at a laundry mat, she said, will you pick me up, I get off at 10, I said yes I will ... OK, I got ready to go, and my husband went with me and my children were too. And, on our way, coming down like you're going to Love's, I saw Dominic and Damian coming down the street ... This was exactly 20 minutes till 10, exactly, cause we had our watches and we knew what time it was. OK they had dark clothing on and they were not cleaned.” Dabbs: “You said at one time that they were muddy all over.” Narlene: “They did have dirt on them, yes they did, now. ... They was coming back towards Lakeshore, this way .... They were, it was a yellow uh, sign thing up in, some stick standing up and then they were just before they got to there, where they was. ... OK, as we were driving by, she pointed the stick ... to us, and it's right there on the off ramp, where ... as you go east down the interstate … the off ramp to the South Service Road … is where the yellow stick or marker was.” She had turned her brights on “so that I could get a good look at them … to see who they were, yes I did. And I said, that's Dominic and Damien, no look like, it is and I got a good close look and said, it sure is. ... I really don't know Damien, cause I don't go around him from all the bad things I hear about him, but therefore, I don't let my children go around him and Dominic, I've known her all of her life. Cause I use to hold her on my hip when she was six months baby. ... “... I was upset about it, for them being out that late and around that area, but you know I was wondering what they were doing out at that time of night. My husband told me to quit worrying about it, cause they are out all the time. He said that he sees them all the time. So, he told me to quit worrying about it. … “… I don't know what L.G. is capable of, and I am not saying that he would do it, and I am not saying that he wouldn't, but I know Damien. Everybody said that Damien, I know that he's suppose to have 666 on his shoes. …” Hester: “And your husband and your children saw him and Dominic both.” Narlene: “Yes, ain't no way they missed that.” She repeated the information on May 20: “... I left home about 9:30 I was going down the south service road and I looked to the right and I saw Daymeion Dominique walking they were dirty and muddy go to the laundrymat Dixie said LG just left and I said I just saw Daymeion and she asked was Dominique with him and I said yes.” Narlene testified in the Baldwin/Echols trial on March 3, 1994: “Well see, we spent most of our day together, Dixie and I did. And we had lunch together. And she asked me that day, would I come back and pick her ... Well, she got off at 10, but we got there a little early.” She said she left home at exactly 9:30 p.m. and had all her children, along with a young friend, packed into a red 1982 Ford Escort. John Fogleman asked: “... As you were approaching Love's and Blue Beacon, uh - did you see anybody there on the service road?” Narlene: “Yes, we did. ... We saw Damien and Domini. ... Damien had on a pair of black pants and a dark shirt. Domini had on a pair of tight pants - you know, fit tight. And she had flowers, looked like white flowers to me on her pants. ... Which I know they were her clothes because 2 or 3 days before that, I saw her with those same clothes on.” Fogleman: “Alright. Uh -- in fact, Domini's tried to get you to say something different, hasn't she?” Val Price, Echols' attorney, interjected: “Judge, objection! Totally inappropriate, your Honor.” Narlene was willing to talk: “I'll answer.” Judge David Burnett said “Wait just a minute.” This was followed by laughter in the courtroom and a bench conference. Price said the testimony would be a hearsay response. The Court agreed. Fogleman said he might call Domini on the matter but “she might lie.” They moved on. Fogleman: “Narlene, when you saw these uh -- Damien and Domini on the service road, did you do anything with your lights? ...” Narlene: “... I put the bright lights on to be sure ... That it was them. ... Because I didn't realize there for a second how many I really had in the car with me and it was getting late and Domini was only 14. ... So I wanted to give them a ride back home. See, I knew I had a few minutes to get to the laundrymat. ... I looked back and my ex-husband said, ‘Where are you gonna put ‘em?' I said, ‘Well, I'd put Mary in Domini's lap.' And I looked over, he said, ‘Where you gonna put the other one, in Damien's lap?” and I looked at Damien and said, ‘No, I don't think so.'” Under questioning by Echols defense attorney Scott Davidson, she said, “ ... I wanted to stop and pick ‘em up ... Give ‘em a ride so - so Domini wouldn't be on the street. I'm a real funny person about that and I don't think young children ought to be on the street after dark.” She also wanted to stop because “I just started feeling like all of a sudden I wanted to throw up. ... I stopped for a second and then went on ‘cause they kept hollering -- the kids kept hollering ‘Let's go on, let's go, you can get sick when we get there.'” Laughter broke out in the courtroom again. Baldwin attorney Paul Ford correctly predicted that the prosecution ultimately would argue that she had mistaken Baldwin for Domini that evening. On May 25, 1993, Anthony Hollingsworth gave a handwritten statement to police: “Wensday night I was at my mom dads house when the phone rig at 9:15 pm and it was my grandmother she told us to come and get her from wroke. We walk out and get mom car Anthony Ricky Tabitha Matt Narlene Sombra Little Ricky and left to go pick up Dixie we get service road were going est just west of Seventh Street. We saw Damaion and Dominque and they were on south side of the south service road. They were wearing black clothes that were muddy It was about 9:30 pm We went to Flash Market and pick up Dixie and took her home and then we went back to our house and didn't see Damion and Domique on the road.” Anthony also testified on March 3, immediately preceding his mother. He testified he, his brother, his two sisters, his mom and dad and his little brother's girlfriend Sombra had gone to pick up his grandmother at a laundromat near Southland Park dog track, next to a Flash Market. He recalled the time as 10:30 but wasn't sure -- “that was a year ago.” He said they saw Damien and “Dominique, his girlfriend” by the side of the road wearing black, dirty clothes. Anthony: “She had black pants on with sort of a black shirt -- the shirt was black but the pants had white flowers on ‘em.” With the May 25 statement as reference under questioning by John Fogleman, he agreed that he had given the time as 9:30 and had stated that the clothes were not merely dirty but muddy. Other members of the Hollingsworth family did not testify in the trial but gave statements to police. Tabitha, 16, told Dabbs on May 20: “Well, first that night, we were going to get my aunt from work, and L.G. seen Damian nem walking, walking back from over there by that place where them kids got killed at. ... They were coming down by Love's, they right beside the place, cause they were walking back this way, walking back toward Love's. ... Well, Damien, had, uh, Dominic had black pants on with holes in the knees, and she had on a long black shirt and he was wearing all black, he had black boots on black shirt, black pants on, and they were muddy. ... No doubt n my mind, I seen them, they were all muddy.” She said they were going to pick up her grandmother at the laundromat at about 9 or 9:30, going down the south service road toward Ingram Boulevard to Flash Market. She said she and Domini “use to hang around a lot when we were in school” and that she had been introduced to Damien at Domini's house (“he just live right around behind us”). “I think he's a devil worshiper, I don't like him ... He makes signs on the street and all of that, and he go back under the bridge and makes of the devil.” She said Domini knew Echols was a devil worshipper. “She doesn't say nothing about, I guess she don't care.” She also knew Jason. “I don't know his last name, I know where he lives though ... Yep, very good friends, they walk around with each other all the time. ... They act strange all the time.” On Dec. 7, Ricky Sr. gave this statement: “On 5-5-93, I Rick Hollingsworth was in a 1982 Ford Escort Stationwagon with my ex-wife Narlene, Anthony, Tabita, Mary and Little Rick at between 9:00 and 10:00 PM. We were going to get Dixie from where she works on Ingram. We were on the South Service Road between Blue Beacon and Love's truck stop when Narlene saw two people that she said were Damien and Domini. I did see the two people but I didn't look close enough to say who they were but I did see that they had long hair. Narlene thought it was strange and asked if she ought to turn around to give them a ride. I told her no that I had seen them walking all over the place and that they are always walking.” On May 20, Dixie Hufford, 50, said Narlene and Ricky Hollingsworth had picked her up from work at a few minutes before 10 p.m. that night and taken her home. As predicted, prosecutors did try to use the sighting to place Baldwin at the scene. Fogleman worked it into his closing argument: “Let's talk about Damien Echols or an accomplice, Jason Baldwin or an accomplice, causing the deaths of these boys. As the court instructs you, some of this evidence is only as to one, some of it as to both. In this case, you've got evidence that at about nine thirty -- sometime between nine thirty and ten on May the fifth, this is the area of the crime scene, and somewhere in this area Damien Echols -- who by his own admission dresses very distinctively and stands out in a crowd -- he is seen by somebody who's seen him hundreds of time, Narlene and Anthony Hollingsworth. And he's seen with somebody they identify as Damien's girlfriend. They're muddy, dirty, and they're here about nine thirty or ten, which Damien denies. Now, all of y'all -- I don't think any one of you could forget Anthony and Narlene's testimony. I got to thinking about it later, and you know -- we laughed, we all laughed. You laughed, we laughed, the defense attorneys laughed, everybody laughed -- they were dead serious. And, you don't pick your witnesses -- and because they're simple, and they're not highly educated, that should be no reason to discount anything they said. Think about what they said and really how they said it. I submit to you, you'll find that they were highly credible. And that they did see Damien Echols on this service road between nine thirty and 10 on May the fifth, 1993. Now, who he was with -- draw your own conclusions. Says his girlfriend and they describe her as having red hair and long. You got a picture of Jason Baldwin at the time of his arrest. Nothing wrong with having long hair and the picture in there is not shown to show that he's a bad person because he got long hair. But think about that. Think about who Damien was with on May the fifth.” Brent Davis didn't mention Baldwin in his portion of the closing statement, focusing instead on the credibility of the Hollingsworths' testimony: “And it's kindly funny, you know at one point they wanna believe Narlene but they don't wanna believe Narlene. … I don't think Narlene lied to you when she said she saw Damien out there. And once you accept that, and why in the world is Damien and the rest of his group lying to cover him -- where he was on the fifth. What difference does it make? Why don't he get up here and level with us? ‘Why, heck, I was going down to Love's truck stop on the fifth.' Put Domini up here, let her tell you what they were doing. But if Anthony and Narlene are telling you the truth, and you know -- you heard her say about getting them in the car but she wasn't gonna have them in the car, she wouldn't let her kids sit on his lap. She know who was out there, I mean --- Damien himself admits what a distinctive looking character he is, and you wouldn't drive by and miss with your bright lights on at night if you knew who he was. And she knew who was out there. And if he's out there then he's lying to you. And if he's lying to you --- his whole family is lying to you, and the question I got for you is, if they're lying to you about all that, why? Why? Do they got something to hide? I put to you, they do.” It's unlikely that the Hollingsworths would be mistaken in identifying Echols, but how likely is it that they were mistaken about Domini? Baldwin and Domini were close enough in size, hair color and dress to be mistaken for each other at a glance in poor lighting. But according to Dennis ‘Dink' Dent, Baldwin showed up at home around 9 or 9:30, which means he couldn't have been walking along the service road between 9:30 and 10. Domini's alibi wasn't particularly strong because it was not corroborated by anyone other than her mother. But the story from the Teers was consistent. No one other than the Hollingsworths placed Domini anywhere but at home that evening, though Damien at one point claimed she had been over at his parents' trailer that evening. The only evidence of Domini's possible involvement on any level is in the statements from the Hollingsworths, who clearly bore her no ill will. Narlene in particular seemed oblivious to possible implications of the sighting. Police also talked to Dixie Hufford, 50, on May 20, after a tipster called into the West Memphis Police Department. The note on the tip said: “-Boone- called stated the woman that works at the Laundromat on Ingram. Her name is Dixie, Dixie told someone? that 2 boys and a girl came into the laundromat about 10:00P.M.-10:30P.M. on Wednesday to clean up. They had mud and blood on their clothes. Dixie is supposed to be related to one of them, only name Boone new was Hollingsworth.” Ridge and Gitchell conducted the interview that evening at Hufford's apartment. The official record gives no indication that the tip was discussed, though perhaps it was cleared up informally. Hufford did have much to say about Domini and Damien: “Dixie stated that she feels that Damien does control Domini and that she is fearful for her. “Dixie stated that she believed Domini was at home sick that day and that Domini's mom was home. “Dixie stated that she does not like Damien ... “Dixie knows Jason Baldwin and knows that Damien and Jason are very close friends. “Dixie feels that Domini's mom knows some things but won't tell because of her fear for Domini. … “Damien controls Domini.” In a phone interview in March 2013, Narlene Hollingsworth revisited her story as told in 1993-1994, sticking adamantly to the fact that she had seen Domini walking with Damien. New details or twists had not been added over time.
YESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... The Scoundrel Herman Kabansky Exclusive Ad-Free Safe House Edition There’s a lot of action packed into Episode 343. In addition to a drunken shooting spree and a heroic policeman, the story packs in an escape from jail, an attempted suicide, and a whole lot of courtroom and jailhouse dramatics. Culled from the historic pages of the Washington Post, the Washington Times, and the Washington Evening Star. *** A creation Of Pulpular Media We invite you to check out Pulpular Media’s newest production, Portals to Possibility, an improvised comedy about an alternate reality, where monsters are real--and hilarious!!! Visit pulpular.com/portals for a brand-new episode. Want to get a jump on the next episode of True Crime Historian? Why then, download the new podcast app Himalaya and get all new episodes a day early, then drop a buck in the tip jar for True Crime Historian. Or sign up for Himalaya Plus and for premium content and other special features. Or you can support your favorite podcaster at www.patreon.com/truecrimehistorian. Just a dollar a week reserves your bunk at the safe house and access to exclusive content and whatever personal services you require. *** Opening theme by Nico Vitesse. Incidental music by Nico Vitesse, Chuck Wiggins, and Dave Sams. Some music and sound effects licensed from podcastmusic.com. Closing theme by Dave Sams and Rachel Schott, engineered by David Hisch at Third Street Music. Media management by Sean Miller-Jones Richard O Jones, Executive Producer
The Judge Joe Brown Show, Hosted by Valerie Denise Jones (Guest: General Jeff / Skid Row LA)Audio: June 21 ___ LISTEN NOW _______ MORE ___ SKID ROW ____Skid Row, Los Angeles -- Wikipedia -- Skid Row is an area of Downtown Los Angeles. As of the 2000 census, the population of the district was 17,740. Skid Row was defined in a decision in Jones v. City of Los Angeles as the area east of Main Street, south of Third Street, west of Alameda Street, and north of Seventh Street. --County: County of Los Angeles -ZIP Code: 90013 -Area code(s): 213________ THe Judge Joe Brown Show ___ Fridays, 4p EST Studio Line (929) 477-1167 ____ Join The Conversation ________like . share . subscribe . leave a comment https://www.spreaker.com/user/valeriedenisejones
People may say I can't sing, but no one can ever say I didn't sing.他们可以说我唱得不好,但不能说我没唱过。[Florence Foster Jenkins│走音天后(2016)]来源:二十世纪福斯▍寻找附近建筑物与区域I wonder if the Museum of Modern Art is around here.(不知道现代艺术博物馆是否在附近?)Do you know a souvenir shop around here?(你知道这附近有纪念品店吗?)Could you please tell me what district Park Street is located in?(请问公园街在哪一区呢?)▍指路与走错路The road runs parallel to Seventh Street.(这条路与第七街平行。)You can find the street on the map. It is located in the central part of the city.(你可以在地图上找到这条街,它就位在市中心。)You're heading in the wrong direction.(你正朝着错误的方向走。)▍片语学习get to到某地run parallel to和⋯⋯平行be located in位在
People may say I can't sing, but no one can ever say I didn't sing.他们可以说我唱得不好,但不能说我没唱过。[Florence Foster Jenkins│走音天后(2016)]来源:二十世纪福斯▍寻找附近建筑物与区域I wonder if the Museum of Modern Art is around here.(不知道现代艺术博物馆是否在附近?)Do you know a souvenir shop around here?(你知道这附近有纪念品店吗?)Could you please tell me what district Park Street is located in?(请问公园街在哪一区呢?)▍指路与走错路The road runs parallel to Seventh Street.(这条路与第七街平行。)You can find the street on the map. It is located in the central part of the city.(你可以在地图上找到这条街,它就位在市中心。)You're heading in the wrong direction.(你正朝着错误的方向走。)▍片语学习get to到某地run parallel to和⋯⋯平行be located in位在
People may say I can't sing, but no one can ever say I didn't sing.他们可以说我唱得不好,但不能说我没唱过。[Florence Foster Jenkins│走音天后(2016)]来源:二十世纪福斯▍寻找附近建筑物与区域I wonder if the Museum of Modern Art is around here.(不知道现代艺术博物馆是否在附近?)Do you know a souvenir shop around here?(你知道这附近有纪念品店吗?)Could you please tell me what district Park Street is located in?(请问公园街在哪一区呢?)▍指路与走错路The road runs parallel to Seventh Street.(这条路与第七街平行。)You can find the street on the map. It is located in the central part of the city.(你可以在地图上找到这条街,它就位在市中心。)You're heading in the wrong direction.(你正朝着错误的方向走。)▍片语学习get to到某地run parallel to和⋯⋯平行be located in位在
People may say I can't sing, but no one can ever say I didn't sing.他们可以说我唱得不好,但不能说我没唱过。[Florence Foster Jenkins│走音天后(2016)]来源:二十世纪福斯▍寻找附近建筑物与区域I wonder if the Museum of Modern Art is around here.(不知道现代艺术博物馆是否在附近?)Do you know a souvenir shop around here?(你知道这附近有纪念品店吗?)Could you please tell me what district Park Street is located in?(请问公园街在哪一区呢?)▍指路与走错路The road runs parallel to Seventh Street.(这条路与第七街平行。)You can find the street on the map. It is located in the central part of the city.(你可以在地图上找到这条街,它就位在市中心。)You're heading in the wrong direction.(你正朝着错误的方向走。)▍片语学习get to到某地run parallel to和⋯⋯平行be located in位在
On December 1 and 2, 2018, Rabbi Michal Knopf participated in an interfaith “pulpit swap” with colleague, Rev. Hollie Woodruff, of Seventh Street Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Richmond. She preached on Saturday, and he spoke to her congregation on Sunday. The topic was “Spiritual Revolutionaries: Making Religion Relevant in the 21st Century”. This episode is […]
Emma Tattenbaum-Fine is a comedian, storyteller, essayist, director, and actor. You can see her on Ep. 16 of the Netflix series, Explained. She's been an HQ Trivia host many times over and performed standup with Comedy Central at Caroline's, but she's most proud of being an original cast member of Reality Show: NYU and, later, the very first NYU Abu Dhabi production. Follow her so you can be in touch about your RA and life adventures: @EmmaTattenbaum on Twitter // @emmatbomb on Instagram
Ben plans a trip to paradise, Eliza loves British Reality TV, and Oliver looks to buy a bar so he can chug drinks and throw the cups on the ground! The trio also discuss the Seventh Street harassment story in Charlotte, rumors that destroy people's businesses, the Charlotte Yoga harassment allegations, changes in how business owners interact due to harassment, people using harassment as a legal tool to avoid getting fired, and much more. Shout out to Charlotte Observer for breaking these stories!
This week, Brian puts a spotlight on Tres Chic in Berkeley. He interviews KGO listener Penny Foster, who recommended the business, and Tres Chic owner Brandi Watkins. Tres Chic is located at 2703 Seventh Street #106 in Berkeley. To schedule an appointment, call (415) 570-7467 or e-mail treschicshopper11@gmail.com. You can also visit their website at treschicshopper.com To recommend a business to be featured on Hole in the Wall, send an e-mail to HoleInTheWallKGO@gmail.com
This week on StoryWeb: Langston Hughes’s book of poems Montage of a Dream Deferred. I play it cool And dig all jive That’s the reason I stay alive. My motto As I live and learn Is dig and be dug in return. So goes the poem “Motto” in Langston Hughes’s 1951 jazz collection, Montage of a Dream Deferred. The list of my favorite Langston Hughes poems would be long indeed, but no volume of his poetry makes my heart sing like Montage of a Dream Deferred. Not only does it include justly famous poems like “Harlem” and “Theme for English B” and lesser known poems like “Motto.” But it also – taken as a whole volume as Hughes intended – provides a marvelous portrait of the African American community in post-World War II Harlem. The story goes that Hughes wrote Montage of a Dream Deferred in a creative outburst in one week in September 1948. Hughes had just moved into his own home after being a renter his entire adult life. Writing to a friend, Hughes described Montage as “a full book-length poem in five sections,” “a precedent shattering opus—also could be known as a tour de force.” I completely concur with Hughes’s self-assessment: Montage of a Dream Deferred is very much a tour de force. In his early work, Hughes showed how the blues as a uniquely African American musical form shaped his poetry. Some time back, I explored his landmark 1925 poem “The Weary Blues” and the way it exemplified the blues influence on Hughes’s poetry. By the 1940s, however, jazz had more than come into its own, embodying the vast creativity and artistry of African Americans. Jazz is just right as a vehicle for Hughes’s poetry, for he can riff on a poetic theme much as a band member might riff on a musical motif set down by the leader. Jazz was, of course, a distinct creation of African American musicians. Though there were many white musicians who became interested in and mastered jazz and pushed it in new directions, jazz was largely an African American cultural phenomenon. No volume of Hughes’s poetry illustrates his “jazz in words” approach quite like Montage of a Dream Deferred. And here it’s especially be-bop and boogie woogie that shape the volume and provide its language and syncopated rhythms. In a prefatory note to the book, Hughes writes, [T]his poem on contemporary Harlem, like be-bop, is marked by conflicting changes, sudden nuances, sharp and impudent interjections, broken rhythms, and passages sometimes in the manner of the jam session, sometimes the popular song, punctuated by the riffs, runs, breaks, and disc-tortions of the music of a community in transition. Right from the volume’s first poem, “Dream Boogie,” we are immersed in the “cool” language of be-bop, and we encounter our first syncopated stanza of poetry. Hughes writes: Good morning, daddy! Ain’t you heard? The boogie-woogie rumble Of a dream deferred? Listen to it closely: You’ll hear their feet Beating out and beating out a – You think It’s a happy beat? Now that the motif has been established – the “dream deferred” – Hughes can riff on it throughout the volume, which he stressed was to be seen as one long poem rather than a collection of 87 individual short poems. He employs different voices, takes different vantage points, takes the same words and plays them back to us in a different way. Even a short and seemingly straightforward poem like “Harlem” (taught by many an American literature instructor and “sampled” by Lorraine Hansberry in the title of her pioneering play A Raisin in the Sun) can take on a deeper resonance when it’s set in the context of this jazz-in-words volume of poetry. Appearing about midway through the book, “Harlem” opens with one of the most well-known lines in American poetry: “What happens to a dream deferred?” That question is at the heart of this book of poems. What exactly is the “dream deferred” that gives title and theme to this volume of poetry? Hughes had always played with the theme of “the dream,” in particular the dream of political and social justice for African Americans. “But Hughes now faced the fact,” says The Oxford Index, “that the hopes that had drawn thousands of blacks to the northern cities had led many of them to disappointment, alienation, and bitterness. Some of these poems depict blacks still able to hope and dream, but the most powerful pieces raise the specter of poverty, violence, and death.” And finally what of the term “montage”? Usually used to name a cinematic technique, the word “montage” describes the quick cuts and splices between disparate but associated images. In this case, the montage is of Harlem just after World War II. Famous for its Renaissance in the 1920s, when African American migrants from the rural South poured into the Manhattan neighborhood and filled it with music, art, literature, rent parties, and life, Harlem by the late 1940s was in decline. The dream African Americans had sought in their own vibrant neighborhood was, indeed, drying up like a raisin in the sun. The montage Hughes gives us, says The Oxford Index, is one that pulls together “virtually every aspect of daily Harlem life, from the prosperous on Sugar Hill to the poorest folk living down below.” The book “touches on the lives of Harlem mothers, daughters, students, ministers, junkies, pimps, police, shop owners, homosexuals, landlords, and tenants; its aim is to render in verse a detailed portrait of the community, which Hughes knew extremely well.” In his 1940 autobiography, The Big Sea, Hughes said, “I tried to write poems like the songs they sang on Seventh Street. . . . Their songs—those of Seventh Street—had the pulse beat of the people who keep on going.” Eight years later when he wrote Montage of a Dream Deferred, he succeeded magnificently in capturing that pulse beat. To read Montage of a Dream Deferred, you’ll need to purchase The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes, edited by Arnold Rampersad. It is the only place the 1951 volume is available (and except for a few individual poems, you can’t read Montage of a Dream Deferred online). A great recording of many of Hughes’s poems, including several from Montage of a Dream Deferred, is an album by Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis. It’s available only on vinyl, but if you’ve got a turntable, you’re in for a treat. If you want to go deeper, consider taking the Langston Hughes walking tour the next time you are in Harlem. The Big Sea: An Autobiography will give you insights into Hughes’s life, as will Selected Letters of Langston Hughes. True aficionados will want to read Arnold Rampersad’s two-volume biography of Langston Hughes. Volume I of The Life of Langston Hughes is subtitled I, Too, Sing America and covers the years 1902-1941. Volume II is subtitled I Dream a World and covers the years 1941-1967 (the year of Hughes’s death). Visit thestoryweb.com/montage for links to all these resources. You can also listen to Langston Hughes read “Harlem,” arguably the most important poem to come out of Montage of a Dream Deferred. You can also watch actor Danny Glover recite the poem.
The Newsletter for the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan August 2012, Volume 6, Number 8This is a reprinted version of the original, which was e-mailed to A2 City News subscribers on Aug. 1, 2012. Further information on featured topics and current news can be found at www.a2gov.org. IN THIS ISSUE New police chief * Park millage update * A2NonMoto blog * FRA high-speed rail grant * Police golf outing * CTN podcasts * Vote Aug. 7 * Farmers Market turns 93 * Street resurfacing * Tree-care tips * A2 social media * “Around Ann Arbor” * Dates to rememberNew police chief appointedAnn Arbor City Council has appointed John Seto safety services administrator and police chief. Since April 1, 2012, Seto has served in this role on an interim basis. He was originally hired with the city as a patrol officer in 1990 and was appointed deputy chief of police, operations division, in 2008. “The internal promotion of a candidate who meets the position's requirements of leadership, management experience, community involvement, judgment, and trustworthiness is healthy for the police department,” said Ann Arbor City Administrator Steve Powers. “I'm confident John has the experience necessary to serve our community well in this role.”Go online to read more. Park millage updateAt their June 19, 2012, meeting, the Ann Arbor Parks Advisory Commission unanimously passed a resolution to recommend placement of a renewal of the Park Maintenance and Capital Improvements Millage on the November 2012 election ballot. The resolution also recommends City Council reaffirm the administrative millage policies to inform voters of the manner in which it intends to oversee the administration of the millage if the proposed renewal is approved. This item has been placed on the (Thursday) Aug. 9, 2012, City Council agenda for review and approval. (The Council meeting is scheduled on a Thursday, instead of the usual Monday, due to Election Day.)The Aug. 9 City Council meeting will take place at 7 p.m. in the second floor Council chambers in Larcom City Hall (301 E. Huron St.). As with all other regular Council meetings, this meeting will be telecast live on CTN Channel 16 (Comcast Cable), or watch the meeting live online. Parks improvements and maintenance activities status tables are available online, by fiscal year, and list park projects funded through your support of the 2008–2013 Park Maintenance and Capital Improvements Millage. Find your pathThe City of the Ann Arbor has launched a blog that celebrates the culture of nonmotorized transportation within the community: walking, cycling, etc. The “A2nonmoto”blog contains posts with a wide variety of features, such as bike helmet-cam videos, photos from bicycling commuters, pedestrian photos and news from the local and wider nonmotorized worlds. The blog serves as a platform for encouragement and education about the culture of nonmotorized transportation. For more information on the blog, or how to submit your own bicycling or pedestrian photos, please email the city's transportation office. City receives FRA high-speed rail grantAnn Arbor City Council recently voted to accept a planning grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to support planning of a proposed new rail passenger station in Ann Arbor. The city, in cooperation with Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), applied to the FRA for funding under the FRA's High Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail program. The city was awarded a grant of $3.5 million to complete a comprehensive planning analysis, draft environmental documents and undertake preliminary engineering for the Ann Arbor station. Originally identified as an element of the 2006 Ann Arbor Model for Mobility and included in the 2009 City Transportation Plan Update, this grant allows the city to continue planning for this essential component of our community's transportation system.City staff is coordinating closely with MDOT and Amtrak to assure thinking about this facility reflects the community's needs, state's investment in higher-speed intercity passenger rail along the Wolverine Line as well as the efforts to reintroduce commuter rail service from Ann Arbor to Detroit. With MDOT investing to acquire and improve this corridor, increased rail service and demand for access to the rail system is expected. It is generally recognized that the current station needs to be improved. Long-term parking is inaccessible to many, as it requires a lengthy walk without provision for those with mobility limitations. The facility is located along Depot Street, a road heavily impacted by peak-hour traffic. Transit connections, limited today, are anticipated to be needed as the rail use and need for access to the rail service increases. Bus routing to the current station is impacted by the high volumes of traffic at the station site. With improved rail service, the shortcomings of the existing station will be exacerbated.The grant funds support preparation of a conceptual plan, environmental review and preliminary engineering. The conceptual planning process includes review of the current facility, identification of alternative sites and considerations of how to best proceed. To date, the city has evaluated 15 sites, including the existing station site for accommodating the proposed future station. The concept planning process will occur simultaneously with the environmental review. Under this grant, the city will prepare a complete environmental assessment report seeking the FRA's approval of a project concept. Staff anticipates the project receiving a “Finding of No Significant Impact” (FONSI), a determination made by the FRA. Once the environmental review is completed, and FONSI is secured, the city will move forward and initiate preliminary engineering on the locally preferred alternative.Public participation is a fundamental part of this planning process. Recognizing there have been many public meetings as part of the Fuller Road Station project, this newly initiated work will provide additional opportunity for the project team to more fully evaluate and document the issues taken into consideration in this project. These materials will be subject to public review at project-related public meetings, as well as other city boards and commission meetings including the City Council, Planning Commission, Park Advisory Commission, among others. At this time, the next public meetings are anticipated to occur later this fall. For more information, please contact City Transportation Program Manager Eli Cooper. Police charity golf outingGet ready to golf for a good cause. Registration is going on now for the 21st annual Ann Arbor Police Charity Golf Outing Friday, Sept. 21 at Leslie Park Golf Course. This year's event is held in honor of two of the department's fallen officers, Jason Zogaib and Vada Murray, raising money for The Jason Zogaib Memorial Fund and The Vada Murray Fund for Cancer Research. The four-person scramble includes 18 holes of golf (and cart); a shotgun start at 9 a.m.; lunch; dinner; raffle, prizes and games; and more. Space is limited. Click here for details and the registration form(PDF). CTN helps you stay in the know, even on the goNew “On Air with CTN” podcasts provide an audio overview of everything happening on air and at the studios of Ann Arbor Community Television Network. Listen in and find out the line ups for CTN's four channels (16, 17, 18 and 19 on Comcast Cable), interviews with special guests, highlights of events new programs and a rundown of upcoming workshops for city residents and not-for-profit agencies.Follow us!Learn about upcoming meetings, facts, tips and more via the City of Ann Arbor's Facebook and Twitter pages. The city posts useful information — usually on a daily basis. In fact, a local realtor recently named the City of Ann Arbor's Twitter page as the No. 1 area “tweep” to follow. You can also subscribe to receive topic-specific bulletinsdirectly to your email. Find convenient links to each of these ways to stay connected on the homepage of the city website.Vote Aug. 7Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. for the City Primary Election on Tuesday, Aug. 7. On Saturday, Aug. 4, the Ann Arbor City Clerk's office will be open 8 a.m.–2 p.m. for in-person absentee ballot requests.Go to the city election website, www.a2gov.org/elections, for ballot details and more information, or call 734.794.6140.Farmers Market turns 93Join the fun as the Ann Arbor Farmers Market turns 93 years old! On Saturday, Aug. 4 from 7 a.m.–3 p.m., the market, located at 315 Detroit St. in Kerrytown, will celebrate its birthday and its customers. At noon, free ice cream and toppings donated from market vendors will be served (while supplies last). Call for details, 734.794.6255, or go online. Paving the way to better streetsThe city's 2012 street resurfacing initiativebegan in the spring, and as of early August, 20 major and residential streets have been completed. Not only are streets' surfaces getting a makeover during this process, resurfacing also typically consists of removing/replacing sections of damaged or settled curb; repairing/replacing drainage inlets and utility structures (manholes); replacing corner ramps (to meet current Americans with Disability Act standards); and repaving the roadway. Among the roads undergoing work this month are:Geddes Avenue between Highland Road and Apple Way. Intermittent closures of Geddes to through traffic are in effect during construction, with detour routes posted. Local traffic will be maintained. Completion is expected in mid August. Seventh Street between Pauline and Madison. Northbound traffic is being detoured. Completion is expected in the beginning of September. When the initiative comes to a close this fall, 34 streets will have received upgrades. The 2012 street resurfacing project is funded by the Street Resurfacing Millage approved by voters in 2006.Visit the 2012 street resurfacing project Web page, and click on the red envelope to subscribe to receive regular street resurfacing project e-updates. You may also subscribe for e-updates to know which city streets have posted detours, on the city's road and lane closures Web page. http://www.a2gov.org/government/city_administration/City_Clerk/Elections/Pages/Elections.aspx Tree-care tipsThis spring and summer have been unusually dry, and — coupled with the recent very-high temperatures — both newly planted and established trees are showing signs of stress from lack of water. Wilting or curling leaves, leaf/needle drop and leaf scorch (caused by lack of water and high temperatures) are signs that your tree needs to be watered immediately. In normal precipitation years, Mother Nature provides the water an established tree needs, and supplemental watering is typically not necessary. This season, however, calls for human intervention. A slow, deep watering is better than short, frequent watering, for both newly planted and established trees. For newly planted trees and small trees with a trunk diameter of up to 4 inches, a good watering is 10 gallons per inch of tree diameter applied in the mulched area around the tree, once per week. For established, medium trees (5–12 inches), a general guideline for watering during prolonged dry periods is 10 gallons of water for every 1-inch diameter, three times per month. Finally, for large trees, with a trunk diameter greater than 13 inches, 15 gallons of water is needed for every inch of diameter, twice monthly during prolonged dry periods. For established, trees do not water within 3 feet of the trunk, as this can lead to root rot.And how long should watering take place? In general, use this formula as a guideline: tree diameter inches x 5 minutes = total watering time.Find more information on tree watering, mulching, benefits and more on the city's forestry Web pages at www.a2gov.org/trees.Go "Around Ann Arbor" with CTNCommunity Television Network recently debuted “Around Ann Arbor,” a 10-minute weekly program featuring upcoming events in the city and surrounding communities. Following a news-style format, the show promotes events for the week ahead, making it convenient for viewers to plan their own calendars.“Around Ann Arbor” airs on A2TV Channel 17 on Comcast Cable on the following schedule.Sundays, noon and 9:05 p.m.Mondays, 10 a.m.Tuesdays, 3:50 p.m.Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m.Thursdays, 7:20 p.m.Fridays, 1 p.m.Saturdays, 1:35 p.m.And anytime on CTN Video On Demand. “We've taken the electronic bulletin board and brought it to life, another great reason to tune into your community channels for local information,” said Melissa Cohn, assistant manager of the public and educational channels.To submit an event for consideration, free of charge, please email CTN.Dates to rememberAmong the many public meetings/events taking place in August, here are some of the highlights. Please go online for details and a complete list. Wednesday, Aug. 1, join the North Main Street-Huron River Corridor Task Force for a site tour. The Ann Arbor Farmers Market celebrates its 93rd birthday on Saturday, Aug. 4. Also on Saturday, Aug. 4, the Ann Arbor City Clerk's office will be open 8 a.m.-2 p.m. to accept absentee ballot requests for the Aug. 7 State Primary Election, which takes place Tuesday, Aug. 7. A special Park Advisory Commission meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 8.Because of the Tuesday, Aug. 7 State Primary Election, the City Council meeting will take place on Thursday, Aug. 9 rather than the usual Monday schedule.The first step to taking free production workshops at CTN is to attend the CTN Preview workshop, scheduled on Wednesday, Aug. 29.
The Newsletter for the City of Ann Arbor, Mich. • July 2012 • Volume 6 • Number 7 Public comment sought for fire restructure planAt the City Council budget work session on March 12, a fire department restructuring proposal was presented by Fire Chief Chuck Hubbard which would position the department to operate from three fire stations: stations 1, 2 (reopened) and 5. This plan would enable four firefighters to be on duty at each of the three stations. Before this proposal is considered further, the City Administrator and Council would like to give community members the opportunity to hear more about the proposal and ask specific questions. There are a variety of options available to citizens to learn about the Fire Restructure Proposal including:View Fire Restructure Proposal presentation.Watch Chief Hubbard's March 12 Work Session presentation to City Council via CTN's video on Demand (use the pull-down menu at the top left of the screen to select "City Council," then scroll through the pages to find the March 12 meeting link). Watch an interview of Chief Hubbard on CTN's “Conversations” program which airs on Channel 19 via Video on Demand (use the pull-down menu at the top left of the screen to select "Conversations," then scroll through the pages to find the Chief Hubbard interview link). Email your feedback, questions and comments about the proposal, with the subject line: Fire Proposal Request a Fire Restructure Proposal presentation to be given to your neighborhood, community, or Business association by contacting Lisa Wondrash, 734.794.6152. Website surveyPlease take a few minutes to complete an online survey about the City of Ann Arbor website. Feedback will be instrumental in helping the city to identify ways to improve user experiences. Thesurvey deadline is July 23. Concerts in the parkThe Ann Arbor Civic Band summer 2012 concert series is underway. Bring the family, bring a friend and enjoy music in the open air at the West Park band shell. Concerts are Wednesdays at 8 p.m.:July 4: Tribute to the USAJuly 11: Children's ConcertJuly 18 (season finale): Big BandsAdmission is free. Visit the Ann Arbor Civic Band online for more information. MDOT to host meeting for I-94 Business Loop improvementsThe Michigan Department of Transportation will host an open house-style meeting on Tuesday, July 10 to discuss improvements to I-94 Business Loop (BL) in Ann Arbor, between I-94 and Main Street. The meeting will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. at Abbot Elementary, 2670 Sequoia Parkway.MDOT officials will be available to answer questions about plans to convert a section of I-94 BL, between Dexter Avenue and Burwood Avenue, from four lanes to three. There will be no formal presentation given at the meeting; however, maps and project information will be on display. Construction is currently scheduled for 2014. Go online(PDF) for more information. 2011 water quality reportWonder what's in your drinking water? Check the annual City of Ann Arbor Water Quality Report to find out! Grand opening of Library Lane Parking StructureOn Thursday, July 12, a grand opening party will take place 5–8 p.m. for the Library Lane Parking Structure, 319 S. Fifth Ave. Hosted by the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, there will be cake, music and a fabulous collection of vintage cars on display, a preview of the Rolling Sculpture Car Show.Bring along something for the parking structure time capsule (which has a 12-inch diameter). Visit the DDA online for details. Transportation surveyThe Washtenaw Area Transportation Study is beginning development of the 2040 long-range transportation plan for Washtenaw County. To help inform this process, WATS is inviting feedback via the Community Values Survey. The Community Values Survey is available now through the end of July. West Park constructionIn 2010, various improvements were made to West Park, including band shell seating; new access stairs from the Huron Street entrance; new pathways from Seventh Street; relocation of the basketball court; regrading the open-field play area for better drainage; a boardwalk; and installation of stormwater-management features, such as swirl concentrators and bioswales.During the construction in 2010, problems were encountered with the new underground stormwater treatment systems. Therefore, repairs and alterations will be made this summer and fall to the treatment units and reconnect them to the stormwater system, along the west edge of the park. During construction, the north and south access paths to West Park off of North Seventh Street will be closed. The central access path will remain open. This work is expected to be complete in early fall 2012.If you have any questions, please contact the project's manager, Nick Hutchinson, via email or call 734.794.6000, extension 43633. Information is also available on the project's Web page. If you would like to receive email updates for this project, send an email to Hutchinsonwith “West Park email list” in the subject line. Ann Arbor Bridges Facebook giveawaysThe Ann Arbor Bridges Reconstruction Project (AAB) is continuing to progress. Project update meetings are being held every third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Burns Park Shelter, 1200 Baldwin Ave., with the next meeting taking place Thursday, July 17. Updates are also available on the AAB website orFacebook page.When you like AAB on Facebook, you will be entered for a chance to win project logo buttons or a project golf wind shirt. This contest will run until the project's next public meeting, Thursday, July 19, 2012. Ann Arbor to host sustainability conferenceThe City of Ann Arbor is set to host the Michigan Green Communities (MGC) Leadership Academy later this month. Senior officials and key stakeholders from up to 20 Michigan communities, counties and regions will attend workshops about local government sustainability, economic development and planning staff to help further sustainability initiatives around Michigan. These peer-learning workshops will showcase national and local examples of effective action at the intersection of sustainability and local economies. Go online for more about the City of Ann Arbor's sustainability efforts. New electric vehicle-charging stationsThe Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority and Clean Energy Coalitionheld an event last month at the Forest Avenue Parking Structure, 650 S. Forest, to celebrate the installation of 18 electric vehicle-charging stations. The charging stations can now be accessed by the public free of charge; electric vehicle owners need only pay the usual parking fees.This project was substantially funded by a U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities Recovery Act grant awarded through Ann Arbor-based Clean Energy Coalition.In this issue: Comment on fire restructure plan * Website survey * Concerts in the park * I-94 BL improvements meeting * 2011 water quality report * Library Lane Parking Structure * Transportation survey * West Park construction * Ann Arbor Bridges Facebook giveaways * Ann Arbor to host sustainability conference *New electric vehicle-charging stations * Huron River Day is July 15 * Summer taxes due * Art Fair * Vote Aug. 7 * Local rainfall cycles on display * SEMCOG FY 2011–2014 Transportation Improvement Program * Dates to remember Huron River Day is July 15Celebrate one of this community's greatest resources, the Huron River. The 32nd annual Huron River Day is Sunday, July 15 at Gallup Park and Parker Mill Park. Activities include TRI the Huron Triathlon (beginning at 7 a.m.); $5 canoe/kayak rentals; children's activities; live animal programs; river exhibits; live music; food; fishing; and more. Arrive by bike, and receive a coupon for a free boat rental! Sponsored by DTE Energy Foundation.Go to the Huron River Day website,www.a2gov.org/hrd, for details or call 734.662.9319. Summer taxes dueSummer property taxes are due this month. Taxes may be paid online, by mail, at the City of Ann Arbor Customer Service Center (located on the first floor of Larcom City Hall at 301 E. Huron St.) or at several local banks. TCF Bank, Bank of Ann Arbor, Michigan Commerce Bank, Huntington Bank, Citizens Bank and Ann Arbor State Bank will accept full tax payments in July only.Online payments can also be made. Go to the city's treasury Web page for more information, including how property taxes are calculated. Art Fair comes to townThe annual Ann Arbor Art Fair will draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city when it returns this year Wednesday through Saturday, July 18 through 21. Drawing an equally impressive crowd during the Art Fair is the Ann Arbor Community Television Networkvideo greeting booth.The CTN video booth will be located on North University between Thayer and Fletcher. Be sure to stop by to record a fun video greeting, which will be aired on CTN Channel 19 (Comcast Cable) and online. This year, CTN will be recording interviews with not only fair goers, but fair artists, directors and special guests. Visit CTN's website for details.The CTN video greeting booth is also sure to be a draw at the traditional kick off to the Art Fair, the Townie Street Party, Monday, July 16, taking place on East Washington Street, between Fletcher and Thayer streets. While the Art Fair greetings come from visitors throughout the region, country and even the world, Townie greetings are typically for Ann Arbor, by Ann Arbor. Be sure to stop in, say hello, and share why living in A2 is special to you.With the Townie Party and the Art Fair taking place on streets around the downtown and university areas, several detours will be in place. See the street closures maps on the city website — where you can also subscribe to receive e-notifications, year round, whenever detours are scheduled. Vote Aug. 7The City Primary Election is Tuesday, Aug. 7, when polls will be open 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Visit the elections Web page for the list of candidates and information about polling places, times, etc. Residents who need to register to vote must do so by Monday, July 9 at the City Clerk's office, second floor of Larcom City Hall; the Washtenaw County Clerk's office; at any Secretary of State branch office; or by mailing in a voter registration application (postmarked by July 9) to: Ann Arbor City Clerk, PO Box 8647, Ann Arbor, MI 48107. The City Clerk's office will be open Saturday, Aug. 4 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for in-person absentee ballot requests.Please note, the office, and all city government offices, are closed Wednesday, July 4 for the Independence Day holiday. Additional details can be found on the elections website, via email or by calling 734.794.6140. Local rainfall cycles on displayThe bronze, water-feature sculpture on the City of Ann Arbor Municipal Center Plaza,301 E. Huron St., uses only the rainwater that is captured on site and stored in tanks under the structure. As designed by international award-winning artist Herbert Dreiseitl, the water component of the installation is a demonstration of the cycles of local rainfall.When the storage tanks are low, the pumps stop circulating water over the surface of the sculpture until the next rainfall. However, the energy-efficient lights continue their cascading display. In order to conserve water from evaporation, the pumps generally operate during the daylight hours. Go online for information on the plaza's rain gardens and adjacent green roof, too. Comment on the SEMCOG FY 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement ProgramSoutheast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) is seeking comment on the amendment of projects to the Fiscal Year 2011–2014 Transportation Improvement Program(TIP). The TIP is a list of projects fromDirection2035 (the region's long-range transportation plan) selected for funding by cities, villages, county road agencies, transit providers and the Michigan Department of Transportation.A total of 137 projects are proposed to be added to the TIP, while another nine are proposed to be deleted. Several of the projects are in Ann Arbor or Washtenaw County. Additional details can be found on the amendment Web page. Dates to rememberAmong the many public meetings/events taking place in July, here are some of the highlights. Please go online for details and a complete list,www.a2gov.org/calendar. City government offices – including the Customer Service Center – will be closed on Wednesday, July 4 for the holiday. Trash/recycling/compost collection will be delayed by one day following the holiday, resuming Thursday through Saturday.The Ann Arbor Farmers Markethours on Wednesday, July 4, are 7 a.m.–noon, and 4:30–8:30 p.m.Monday, July 9 is the last day to register to vote in the Aug. 7 election. MDOT is holding a public meeting Tuesday, July 10 to discuss planned improvements for the I-94 business loop in Ann Arbor (PDF).Huron River Day is Sunday, July 15 A2 City News Web Page *City Council *Contact Us *Meeting Agendas *News & Announcements *Road/Lane Closures A2 City News is emailed to newsletter subscribers by the City of Ann Arbor. Please share comments via email or call 734.794.6110, extension 41105.QUESTIONS FOR THE CITY OF ANN ARBOR?Contact usSTAY CONNECTED WITH THE CITY OF ANN ARBOR:
In this massive episode, Desmond does an info dump on you guys before getting to the content. Important to note is that episode 200 is coming rapidly. Listen for your chance to be involved! Then Desmond and Darryll talk about Brian De Palma's Blow Out. Then Desmond goes solo on Vanishing on Seventh Street before digging into some feedback. Tunes included: "The Assassin" by Iron Maiden, "Blowout in the Radio Room" by Fight, "Walking in the Dark" by Goldfinger, and "Brain Damage" by The Browns. Check out Desmond guest-hosting episode 229 of The Splattercast at www.deadlantern.com and check out www.tshirtbordello.com for some great threads! Send feedback to: feedback@dreadmedia.net, or 206.203.1213. Join the Facebook group! Visit www.audibletrial.com/dreadmedia to get a free audiobook!
In this massive episode, Desmond does an info dump on you guys before getting to the content. Important to note is that episode 200 is coming rapidly. Listen for your chance to be involved! Then Desmond and Darryll talk about Brian De Palma's Blow Out. Then Desmond goes solo on Vanishing on Seventh Street before digging into some feedback. Tunes included: "The Assassin" by Iron Maiden, "Blowout in the Radio Room" by Fight, "Walking in the Dark" by Goldfinger, and "Brain Damage" by The Browns. Check out Desmond guest-hosting episode 229 of The Splattercast at www.deadlantern.com and check out www.tshirtbordello.com for some great threads! Send feedback to: feedback@dreadmedia.net, or 206.203.1213. Join the Facebook group! Visit www.audibletrial.com/dreadmedia to get a free audiobook!
In this massive episode, Desmond does an info dump on you guys before getting to the content. Important to note is that episode 200 is coming rapidly. Listen for your chance to be involved! Then Desmond and Darryll talk about Brian De Palma's Blow Out. Then Desmond goes solo on Vanishing on Seventh Street before digging into some feedback. Tunes included: "The Assassin" by Iron Maiden, "Blowout in the Radio Room" by Fight, "Walking in the Dark" by Goldfinger, and "Brain Damage" by The Browns. Check out Desmond guest-hosting episode 229 of The Splattercast at www.deadlantern.com and check out www.tshirtbordello.com for some great threads! Send feedback to: feedback@dreadmedia.net, or 206.203.1213. Join the Facebook group! Visit www.audibletrial.com/dreadmedia to get a free audiobook!
In this massive episode, Desmond does an info dump on you guys before getting to the content. Important to note is that episode 200 is coming rapidly. Listen for your chance to be involved! Then Desmond and Darryll talk about Brian De Palma's Blow Out. Then Desmond goes solo on Vanishing on Seventh Street before digging into some feedback. Tunes included: "The Assassin" by Iron Maiden, "Blowout in the Radio Room" by Fight, "Walking in the Dark" by Goldfinger, and "Brain Damage" by The Browns. Check out Desmond guest-hosting episode 229 of The Splattercast at www.deadlantern.com and check out www.tshirtbordello.com for some great threads! Send feedback to: feedback@dreadmedia.net, or 206.203.1213. Join the Facebook group! Visit www.audibletrial.com/dreadmedia to get a free audiobook!